Heschel Sustainability Center

The Heschel Sustainability Center (Hebrew: מרכז השל לקיימות), formerly known as the Israeli Institute for Environmental Thinking and Leadership, is an environmental organization in Israel. Founded in 1994 by Jeremy Benstein and Eilon Schwartz, who served as its director until 2012, it is named after Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, a prominent 20th-century Jewish theologian, poet, and philosopher known for his work on social justice. The center focuses on developing and disseminating educational perspectives with an environmental, social, and spiritual orientation regarding long-term planning and resource consumption in Israel. The center's activities are primarily directed at strengthening the organizational and conceptual infrastructure of the Israeli environmental movement rather than direct public campaigns or stopping specific environmental hazards. Its work includes promoting sustainability thinking, leadership development, education, and initiatives in the environmental field. It publishes an annual series of Hebrew-language publications in collaboration with the Jerusalem Institute and Babel Publishing, similar in format to those of the Worldwatch Institute, covering environment, economy, and society. It also holds conferences and seminars and publishes on topics such as ecological footprint and environmental education. Key programs include the "Fellows Program" for enriching environmental activists and professionals, the "Green Network" (with the Karev Foundation) for implementing environmental vision in schools, and the "Local Sustainability Center" for applying sustainability at the municipal, neighborhood, or community level. The center also runs a media project to promote environmental coverage in Israeli media, promotes greenhouse gas trading, and operates a public health and environment project. It maintains a lending library of books and tapes on sustainability and environment in English and Hebrew. In 2002, the center was a partner in founding the "Paths to Sustainability Coalition," which promotes sustainable development policy in Israel and includes about 30 organizations. In 2004, it began publishing a book series on environment and sustainability with Babel Publishing. In 2016, it co-founded the Israeli Climate Conference, an annual conference on climate change held in Israel around the time of the UN global climate conference. In 2019, it initiated the NZO (Net ZerO Emissions) project, aiming to lead Israel to a rapid and economical transition to a 100% renewable energy-based economy by 2050. In 2021, MK Miki Haimovich began serving as volunteer chair of the center. As of the third decade of the 21st century, the center is managed by co-CEOs Tamara Sharon Ross and Roni Erez. In August 2025, Education Minister Yoav Kisch canceled a training session organized by the center for senior officials of his ministry on the impact of the climate crisis on the education system, after Channel 14 reported that the center's alumni network included "left-wing people." The center is a member of the Israeli Environmental Justice Association and Life and Environment, the umbrella organization of Israeli environmental organizations.

The Heschel Sustainability Center was founded in 1994 by Jeremy Benstein and Eilon Schwartz, who served as its director until 2012. It is named after Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, a leading 20th-century Jewish theologian, poet, and philosopher who worked for social justice in the United States. The center was originally called the Israeli Institute for Environmental Thinking and Leadership. In 2002, the center was a partner in founding the "Paths to Sustainability Coalition," which works to promote sustainable development policy in Israel. The coalition, coordinated by Life and Environment (the umbrella organization of Israeli environmental organizations), includes about 30 organizations. In 2004, the center began publishing a book series on environment and sustainability in collaboration with Babel Publishing. The first three books were: "A Place for Repair: On Economy, Society and Environment" by Arye Arnon and Dov Hanin, dealing with the impact of free-market economics on society and the environment in Israel and worldwide; "Within Walking Distance" by Orna Kazin, dealing with consumer culture and the disposable industry; and "Red-Green" by Avner de-Shalit, dealing with environmental problems and their connection to social justice and democracy. In 2016, the center was a partner in founding the Israeli Climate Conference, an annual conference on climate change held in Israel around the date of the UN global climate conference. In 2019, the center initiated the NZO (Net ZerO Emissions) project, aimed at leading Israel to a rapid and economical transition to a 100% renewable energy-based economy by 2050, through developing models, studies, and policies that show how energy needs can be met while reducing greenhouse gas emissions, relying only on sustainable technologies, and with significant savings for the Israeli economy. In 2021, MK Miki Haimovich began serving as volunteer chair of the center. In the third decade of the 21st century, the center is managed by co-CEOs Tamara Sharon Ross and Roni Erez. In August 2025, Education Minister Yoav Kisch canceled a training session organized by the center for senior officials of his ministry on the impact of the climate crisis on the education system, after Channel 14 reported that the center's alumni network included "left-wing people." Between 2002 and 2013, the center, together with the Pratt Foundation from Australia (founded by Richard Pratt, a businessman and activist in the Australian Jewish community), awarded the Pratt Prize. The prize was given to journalists and media professionals for outstanding journalistic coverage of social and environmental issues. Winners included journalists from Haaretz, Yedioth Ahronoth, Channel 10, and others.

• 2025

  Education Minister canceled training organized by the center.

• 2021

  Miki Haimovich began serving as volunteer chair.

• 2019

  Initiated the NZO (Net ZerO Emissions) project.

• 2016

  Co-founded the Israeli Climate Conference.

• 2012

  Eilon Schwartz ends his tenure as director.

• 2004

  Started publishing a book series on environment and sustainability with Babel Publishing.

• 2002

  Partnered in founding the "Paths to Sustainability Coalition."

• 2002

  Began awarding the Pratt Prize (until 2013).

• 1994

  Center founded by Jeremy Benstein and Eilon Schwartz.

A non-profit environmental organization focused on long-term sustainability thinking, education, and leadership in Israel.

• Fellows Program

  Enrichment program for environmental activists and professionals.

• Green Network

  Program with the Karev Foundation to implement environmental vision in schools.

• Local Sustainability Center

  Promotes sustainability at municipal, neighborhood, or community level.

• NZO (Net ZerO Emissions) project

  Initiative to lead Israel to a 100% renewable energy-based economy by 2050.

• Annual publications

  Hebrew-language series on environment, economy, and society with the Jerusalem Institute and Babel Publishing.

1. 1Heschel Sustainability Center - Wikidatawikidata.org
2. 2מרכז השל לקיימות - Hebrew Wikipediahe.wikipedia.org