Sacred Soil, Green Ideals

Shemitah, the Jewish sabbatical year, is increasingly being explored in ecological contexts. This research delves into the concept of stewardship examining the evolving discourse on Shemitah across different community sectors in the Israeli press during the last three sabbatical cycles (2007–2008, 2014–2015, and 2021–2022). Our analysis reveals stewardship worldviews that portray Jewish law as either the practical pathway to implement these worldviews or as an inspiration for contemporary socio-environmental initiatives. The secular-liberal sector emphasizes universal stewardship, aligning with Western environmental concepts, while the national-religious sector integrates both universal and particular stewardship, emphasizing the land’s moral dimensions and connecting religious observance with environmental ethics. The ultra-Orthodox sector, though not explicitly expressing eco-theological views, focuses on soil regeneration. This empirical investigation serves as a significant case study and offers valuable guidance for addressing the challenge of instigating behavioral change in religious and traditional populations.