In March, Kol Ami Synagogue started the first Arizona circle of Dayenu: A Jewish Call to Climate Action, a movement of American Jews confronting the climate crisis.
The national Dayenu organization has about 100 chapters in cities across the country and in Canada, says Catherine Rosenberg, who co-chairs the local chapter with Art Sanders.
With Arizona’s growing population and economy facing increasing pressure from shrinking Colorado River supplies and over-drafted groundwater, Kol Ami’s Dayenu Circle will offer a free, three-part lecture series this winter, “Running on Empty: Facing Water Scarcity Throughout the Southwest.”
The series, which will be held at Kol Ami and on Zoom, and open to the public, will explore “how water challenges vary across the state — from the Tucson region to rural communities — and highlight innovative policies, management strategies, and the role we all play in securing Arizona’s water future,” says Rosenberg.
The first talk, on Tuesday, Jan. 13 at 6 p.m., will be “The Future of Water in Southern Arizona – Issues, Innovation, and Impact,” presented by Sharon Megdal, Ph.D., director of the University of Arizona Water Resources Research Center.
Her work focuses on bridging academic research, practical application, and community
engagement through innovative water policy and management programs. Recognized locally, nationally, and internationally, Dr. Megdal is a widely published author and a sought-after speaker who has received numerous awards for her leadership in water research and education.
The series will continue on Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026, with Dr. Michael Crimmins, a climate scientist at the University of Arizona, presenting “Arizona’s Climate Story: Variability, Change, and What Comes Next.” It will conclude on Tuesday, Mar. 10, 2026, with Austin Nuñez, chairman of the San Xavier District of the Tohono O’odham Nation, speaking on “Water Issues in Our Community.”
Along with educating on the water crisis, the local Dayenu Circle is focusing on recycling.
“In less than a year, recycling has become part of the culture of our synagogue,” says Sanders. A retired academic emergency physician, Sanders has studied the health effects of climate change, especially extreme heat. He has shared some of that information at Dayenu Circle meetings.
Dayenu Circle also provides environmental education through Kol Ami’s religious school and b’nai mitzvah projects.
“It’s great way to start reaching out to young people early, so once they’re starting to learn what it means to give, they’re heading in the right direction,” says Rosenberg, a journalist who established NatureWatch, a multimedia project reporting on science, the environment, and global climate change. She previously wrote for Omni, a science magazine for the lay public.
One student has already planted a garden as his bar mitzvah project.
Political advocacy is another focus, with a circle member starting to work on a voter registration campaign for the 2026 election cycle.
For more information and to register for Dr. Megdal’s talk, click HERE. Registration closes Jan. 9; for assistance, call Kol Ami at 520-327-4501.
To join the Dayenu Circle, which is open to all Jews in Southern Arizona as well as anyone in the Tucson community who would like to join, contact Sanders at [email protected] or Rosenberg at [email protected]
