The Baltimore Jewish Green and Just Alliance is a left-of-center Jewish and environmentalist advocacy organization active in Baltimore, Maryland. It was formerly a chapter of the American Jewish Congress.

The organization is known for its publication of the “Baltimore Green and Just Celebrations Guide,” which describes ways that Jews in the Baltimore area can reduce their carbon footprint during Jewish holidays. Topics addressed in the guide are include transportation, clothing, and food. ¹

In addition to its environmental advocacy, the organization is an advocate for various left-of-center issue positions. The organization’s president sits on the board of directors of the left-of-center advocacy organization Progressive Maryland. ²

Overview

The Baltimore Jewish Green and Just Alliance is an environmentalist organization that is also a left-of-center advocacy organization active in the Baltimore, Maryland, area. ³

The organization was originally founded as the Maryland chapter of the American Jewish Congress. However, it broke off from the national organization and reemerged as the Baltimore Jewish Green and Just Alliance in 2014. ⁴

In April 2017, the organization marched with 15 other Jewish organizations in the People’s Climate March in Washington, D.C. The People’s Climate March advocated action to combat climate change and criticized then-President Donald Trump and his policies on the environment. ⁵

After the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson in 2022 which held that there was no constitutional right to abortion, the organization switched its advocacy to promote legal abortion. In May 2022, it took part in the Jewish Rally for Abortion Justice. While promoting the event on its Facebook page, it claimed the current national debate on the abortion issue was dominated by “religious fundamentalists.” ⁶

Also on its Facebook page, it featured an article published in The Atlantic by a rabbi affiliated with the National Council of Jewish Women which claimed a basis in Jewish law for promoting abortion and expanding access to it. ⁷

Baltimore Green and Just Celebrations Guide

The organization is most famous for its Baltimore Green and Just Celebrations Guide. The guide, which was first published in 2012, was intended for Baltimore-area Jews to have their celebrations in ways that are consistent with “Jewish values of social justice and environmental sustainability.” The guide was modeled after a similar guide published in Washington, D.C., by the left-of-center Jewish advocacy organization Jews United for Justice. ⁸

The guide provides tips for Jews in the Baltimore area to reduce their carbon footprint. Among the suggestions is to send invitations online instead of through the mail, provide vegetarian meals, encourage guests to carpool, use fair trade products, and discourage the waste of food, among other suggestions. ⁹

In 2021, the organization released a one-page, double-sided insert that contained updated information and links. ¹⁰

Ties to Other Organizations

Until 2020, the organization was a fiscally sponsored project of Jews United for Justice. ¹¹

The organization is a member of the Baltimore Jewish Council, a coalition of Jewish organizations. ¹²

The organization’s president sits on the board of the left-of-center advocacy organization Progressive Maryland. ¹³

Leadership

Matthew Weinstein is the president of the organization. ¹⁴ He has expressed support for Ben and Jerry’s when the company announced it would boycott Israeli settlements in the West Bank. ¹⁵

Finances

The organization became an independent nonprofit in 2020. It files the Form 990-N tax return which states that it has gross receipts of less than $50,000. ¹⁶

1. Rodriguez, Haydee. “Making B’Nai Mitzvah a Little Greener”. Baltimore Jewish Times. Oct. 21, 2021. https://www.jewishtimes.com/making-bnai-mitzvah-a-little-greener/.
2. “Affiliates and Board of Directors”.  Progressive Maryland. Accessed September 5, 2022. https://www.progressivemaryland.org/board.
3. Rodriguez, Haydee. “Making B’Nai Mitzvah a Little Greener”. Baltimore Jewish Times. Oct. 21, 2021. https://www.jewishtimes.com/making-bnai-mitzvah-a-little-greener/.
4. Rodriguez, Haydee. “Making B’Nai Mitzvah a Little Greener”. Baltimore Jewish Times. Oct. 21, 2021. https://www.jewishtimes.com/making-bnai-mitzvah-a-little-greener/.
5. “Jewish Groups to Walk in People’s Climate March in DC”. Times of Israel. Apr. 29, 2017. https://www.timesofisrael.com/jewish-groups-to-walk-in-peoples-climate-march-in-dc/.
6. “Tuesday At 9AM In…..”. Facebook. May 13, 2022. https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid0pwPZ5cbzAMYfm9Q59LsQuV8MSvEZY6CtV4yTxtAEW9vrmuQz2JWYaR9cRhSyn3K1l&id=366544923404151&m_entstream_source=timeline.
7. “NCJW Rabbi Ruttenberg”.  Facebook. Jun. 26, 2022. https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid02qajoxwTr4yqKDMLSf2N8XdhfEiZXZqSJRJKEQbe3T38wqBK6XjR2SdKjErMoD7WJl&id=366544923404151&m_entstream_source=timeline.
8. Rodriguez, Haydee. “Making B’Nai Mitzvah a Little Greener”. Baltimore Jewish Times. Oct. 21, 2021. https://www.jewishtimes.com/making-bnai-mitzvah-a-little-greener/.
9. Rodriguez, Haydee. “Making B’Nai Mitzvah a Little Greener”. Baltimore Jewish Times. Oct. 21, 2021. https://www.jewishtimes.com/making-bnai-mitzvah-a-little-greener/.
10.  Rodriguez, Haydee. “Making B’Nai Mitzvah a Little Greener”. Baltimore Jewish Times. Oct. 21, 2021. https://www.jewishtimes.com/making-bnai-mitzvah-a-little-greener/.
11. “Jews United For Justice Inc.”. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2020, Part III Line 4c https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/522346578/202141279349302504/full
12.  “Member Organizations”. Baltimore Jewish Council. Accessed September 5, 2022. https://www.baltjc.org/about/member_organizations/.
13. “Affiliates and Board of Directors”.  Progressive Maryland. Accessed September 5, 2022. https://www.progressivemaryland.org/board.
14. Rodriguez, Haydee. “Making B’Nai Mitzvah a Little Greener”. Baltimore Jewish Times. Oct. 21, 2021. https://www.jewishtimes.com/making-bnai-mitzvah-a-little-greener/.
15. Weinstein, Matthew. “Opinion | Ben & Jerry’s Is Right: Settlements on Palestinian Land Aren’t Israel”. Baltimore Jewish Times. July 29, 2021 https://www.jewishtimes.com/opinion-ben-jerrys-is-right-settlements-on-palestinian-land-arent-israel/.
16. “Baltimore Jewish Green and Just Alliance – Nonprofit Explorer.” ProPublica. Accessed September 23, 2022. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/843580902.