Connecticut Jewish Ledger

When Tsvi Benson-Tilsen celebrates his bar mitzvah on Feb. 18, the sun will surely shine on Congregation Beth El-Keser Israel (BEKI) in New Haven.

Tsvis bar mitzvah project, which involves installing a 6,000 watt photovoltaic system on the BEKI roof, is designed to harness solar power for the synagogue building.

Tsvi, a seventh grader at the Ezra Academy in Woodbridge, is the son of BEKI rabbi, Jon-Jay Tilsen and his wife, Miriam Benson. When his bar mitzvah approached, Benson-Tilsen decided that he wanted to do something special to mark what he describes as his coming into the community.

I have always been into science, reports Benson-Tilsen. I read science books and magazines. And the idea that we can harness solar energy from the sun is a great way to plan for the future. It doesnt pollute or waste, and if applied properly, it can save a lot of money.

Benson-Tilsen has become somewhat of an expert on the subject, and he has been sharing his knowledge with family, friends, and BEKI members.

Tsvi writes in his letter to friends and neighbors, The 6,000 watt solar array will produce as much electricity as is consumed by a typical household. The solar panels will reduce the amount of electricity we draw from the power grid, thus reducing the strain on the grid during peak demand periods That will help obviate the need for new high-voltage power lines, and lessen the likelihood of rolling blackouts. This will also cut down on the burning of fossil fuels, which are becoming more costly to extract and burn.

Tsvi said that the roof atop of BEKI is ideal for a solar array, as it gets almost full sun all day, all year. It is very visible from Whalley Avenue (where 1,000 cars per hour drive past), helping to increase public awareness of the importance, simplicity, and feasibility of solar installations in Connecticut.

Tsvi was excited to go up on the synagogue roof with the prospective contractors and consultants, including BEKI members, Hugh Fryer and Seth Paulker.

The BEKI roof is huge and there is room for at least ten times as many panels as I am planning in this project, so if I can do more, I will, Tsvi said.

Tsvi said he hopes to raise $45,000, the projected total cost of the solar project.

I am already three-fourths of the way to my goal, he said, so I just need a little more help from my friends and concerned neighbors.

Part of the money has come from the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund (CCEF). The state and power companies are making these very generous rebates available because it is cheaper for them to subsidize putting solar panels on your roof then to spend bezillions of dollars building new fossil-fuel burning plants and criss-crossing the state with giant transmission lines.

We are really proud that Tsvi has taken on a mitzvah area where he can do something real-he is fulfilling the mitzvah of bal tashchit (do not destroy/waste), as well as other mitzvot, commented Rabbi Tilsen. And we are proud that he is being a responsible member of the adult community.