On April 22-- Earth Day-- Congregation Beth Shalom and Pittsburgh Community leaders come together to celebrate and “Flip the Switch” on the Congregation Beth Shalom Solar Initiative.

Beth Shalom hosted the Solar Dedication event where Rabbi Seth Adelson threw the switch turning on the project.

Attendees will include Richard Feder and Bruce Rollman (co-chairs, Beth Shalom Solar Initiative), Rabbi Seth Adelson, Debby Firestone (President of Beth Shalom), Alan Frasz (Yellowlite Commercial Business Manager). Honored guests expected to attend include State Senator Jay Costa, County Executive Rich Fitzgerald, Pittsburgh Mayor William Peduto, Allegheny County Council District 11 Representative Paul Klein, Pittsburgh City Council District 5 Representative Corey O'Connor, Pittsburgh City Council District 8 Representative Erika Strassburger, and Rob Menes (Congregation Beth Shalom Executive Director 2015-2019).

Thursday’s Solar Dedication Event will be the culmination of the four-year project.

The Congregation Beth Shalom Solar Initiative involved the installation of a 56-kilowatt solar array project atop the newly replaced westernmost roofs of the Congregation’s complex located on the corner of Beacon and Shady Avenues in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh.

The solar panels were made possible by a $125,000 grant from Allegheny County’s Community Infrastructure and Tourism Fund (CITF).

Additional project work such as repairing the roofs that support the solar arrays was paid for by the funding that was raised from Beth Shalom’s membership and the balance came from the Congregation’s operating budget.

The new solar panels will provide Beth Shalom Congregation with clean renewable electricity and reduce operating expenses and mitigate the impact of future electricity price increases.

They also show Congregation Beth Shalom as a regional role model and leader in climate change mitigation. Congregation Beth Shalom’s commitment to the environment demonstrates Jewish values such as tikkun olam (repair the world).

People interested in watching the Solar Dedication Event can watch live (11:00 a.m. Thursday) via Zoom.

Click Here for more information on the dedication.

More information about the solar project, visit the Congregation Beth Shalom Solar Initiative webpage.

Questions should be directed to: Ken Turkewitz, Interim Executive Director; kturkewitz@bethshalompgh.org, 412-421-2288, x226; Dr. Bruce Rollman, Solar Initiative Co-Chair, RollmanBL@upmc.edu, 412-638-8536; Richard Feder, Solar Initiative Co-Chair, richardfeder1@gmail.com, 412-600-1879.

[Posted: April 20, 2021]

4/26/2021