The First Jewish Environmentalist: Gordon’s Green Jewish Philosophy

In light of the climate crisis, communities of faith must rethink their traditions, in order to adapt them to the rapidly changing environmental reality. Such religious reflection is crucial - no less than scientific investigation - for effecting large-scale environmental change. It is in this spirit that this paper sets out to introduce Gordon`s green Jewish philosophy to a new generation of scholars and readers.

Hailed by Martin Buber as ‘the true teacher’, Aaron David Gordon (1856-1922) is increasingly being recognized as the first Jewish environmentalist. Long before global warming became a major threat, Gordon warned against the mounting dangers of human assault on nature and urged us to open and re-attune ourselves to it. Rather than trying to conquer nature, Gordon argued, we should merge with it; rather than being a master or slave of nature, we should become its friend and ally. Since childhood, nature fertilized and shaped Gordon’s mindscape, as it eventually did his philosophical writings. His fresh insights on contemporary issues - such as ecology, gender, and post-secularism - have recently been spurring on not only a rapidly growing body of scholarly literature, but also communal readings and study among young readers whose imagination has been captured by Gordon’s philosophy.

Based on a wealth of recently published manuscript sources, incorporated in the 2020 critical edition of Gordon’s Man and Nature, the paper demonstrates why Gordon’s call for humanity to reorient itself toward nature is more timely and urgent today than ever before.

Introducing Gordon`s ideas and setting them in their historical context, the paper places Gordon in the tradition of nature-intoxicated prophets such as Rousseau, Thoreau and Tolstoy, and extracts from Man and Nature empowerment and inspiration for seekers advocating the protection of our planet.