Holchim Yarok is the Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy’s “Going Green” club that began as a small group wanting to make the school more environmentally friendly.

Over the last year and a half it has grown into a larger organization that encompasses the Jewish Community Campus and all the other organizations residing on the campus.

Initially, the goal of the group was to educate students and campus users and then provide easy recycling opportunities. To date they recycle cans, plastic, cardboard, paper, glasses, crocks, batteries, old shoes, ink cartridges, cell phones and lap top computers. The items are collected by the HBHA students in their free time. Some are recycled on campus and others have to be delivered to the local recycling station.

Once a month they hold a paper drive that involves the entire student body. Students bring in paper from home for recycling, because the more paper that is collected, the more money made for tzedaka. Students who bring in paper or $1.00 are able to wear jeans and their Holchim Yarok T-shirts, a gift from a generous student. 

Holchim Yarok has also been involved in a number of other projects. They applied and received two separate grants to help buy aesthetically pleasing recycling bins for the school, campus and swimming pool. They held a Jewish Earth Day on Tu B’shvat, involving classroom booths and the entire school. They sold over 400 large reusable grocery bags and are currently selling environmentally friendly and safe water bottles. They also persuaded the cafeteria to buy more environmentally biodegradable products.

We are proud of our students' efforts to perform and model tikkun olam.