Last Shabbat was a momentous occasion for Barnet Shul when, for the first time in decades, the Shul kiddush was disposable-free. This is in no small part down to the efforts of Barnet Shul’s Eco Lead and Community Sustainability Lead for EcoJudaism, Donna Cohen.
Since launching the Barnet Shul Eco Project on Tu Bishvat 2020, just three weeks before lockdown, Donna has been responsible for introducing a range of eco initiatives over the intervening years including The Tiny Forest tree planting project as well as a shoe recycling scheme in partnership with GIFT. She also initiated the Souper Succot challenge where fruit and vegetables from members’ succahs are transformed into hearty soups and tasty desserts for the community, in a bid to eliminate food waste. This has been a recurring theme, reflected in the compilation of the Love your Leftovers Cookbook with recipes supplied by shul members.
Barnet Shul’s eco-awareness has also encouraged more connection with the wider local community. For instance, Donna and Rabbi Moshe Chaim Lister recently visited the Incredible Edible Barnet food growing project, which is located near to the shul. All the while, Donna’s overriding goal was always for Barnet to become disposable-free, but this was impossible without the right facilities in the shul kitchen.
Having now installed a gleaming new kitchen area with a state-of-the-art dishwasher and purchased enough crockery, glasses and cutlery to cater for up to 200 people, sustainably, the dream has become a reality for kiddushim and other Barnet events. As Donna explains, “Disposables of any kind are environmentally-unfriendly simply because, as the name suggests, they need to be disposed of immediately and end up in landfill or are incinerated, polluting our air, soil and waterways. Conversely, china, glass and metal last for decades. It has taken a while, but I couldn’t have achieved this without the support and goodwill of the amazing Barnet community.” As part of its Sustainability Action Plan (SAP) EcoJudaism is encouraging all communities to follow Barnet’s lead. If you would like to join the expanding network of like-minded EcoJudaism synagogues, contact Donna: [email protected]
22 January 2026