Late summer light hits Encino’s rooftops like a promise. On Valley Beth Shalom’s campus, more than 850 panels hum toward the grid—quiet proof that climate action can look like a synagogue taking care of its people. This is the Jewish Solar Challenge in motion: practical, fast, and built to scale before incentives fade.
“Most folks assume socially conscious institutions already have solar,” founder Mitchell Schwartz told me. “We surveyed about 15 in L.A.—most didn’t. Two reasons kept coming up: no one owning the project and a payback period that scares off accountants.” His fix is blunt and effective: small grants as leverage. “We put in money only if they put in money. That match creates skin in the game, speeds up decisions, and turns a roof into a teaching tool.”
Photos courtesy The Jewish Solar Challenge
The numbers back it up. Since 2022, JSC has supported $2M+ in projects with an estimated 2,080 kW of capacity—about 3.28M kWh/year, avoiding 1,272 metric tons of CO₂ and saving nearly $500,000 annually on electricity. The headline case: Valley Beth Shalom’s campus-scale build. Another: a century-old Jewish camp near Fresno that planted panels at ground level to cut mounting costs. JSC even backed a community project in Uganda, wiring a center that now powers lights and science labs. “We give funds directly to the nonprofit, so they own the system outright,” Schwartz said. “Then we stay close for programming—gardens, retrofits, chargers—the ripple effect.”
The 2025 grant cycle—opening Sept. 1; due Sept. 22; awards late November—keeps the bar clear and the path short. Round one is a one-pager: Do you own the building? Is the roof sound? Round two demands the solar contract and a simple, credible sustainability plan beyond the panels. Installations are expected within a year. “We’re not an advocacy shop,” Schwartz said. “We’re a results shop. Panels up, bills down, emissions cut.”
Why “Jewish” Solar Challenge? “Start where you’re rooted,” he told me. “Show by example. Then widen the circle.” The circle is already widening: synagogues, schools, camps—California outward. The aim is bolder: any nonprofit with a roof and a community.
Bridging generations matters here, too. Schwartz laughs at his kids’ refrain—you messed it up—then steadies the point. “Everyone can do something. Older, younger—no one gets a pass.” In the glare off those Encino panels, the mission reads simple: make the future cheaper, cleaner, and closer than we think. jewishsolarchallenge.com
