Bedikat HaMayim: A Pre-Pesach Marine Cleanup Attracts Volunteers Across Africa.
THE UBIQUITY of plastic pollution has precipitated a global environmental crisis. According to the United Nations Environment Programme, approximately 2,000 garbage trucks’ worth of plastic waste are discharged into oceans, rivers, and lakes every day. This alarming phenomenon—often overlooked by key stakeholders—continues to accelerate ecosystem degradation, endanger aquatic life, and undermine human livelihoods. Each year, an estimated 19 to 23 million tons of plastic waste enter aquatic ecosystems, destroying habitats and disrupting natural processes.
Though often treated as a separate issue, plastic pollution deeply intertwines with other environmental crises, such as climate change and resource depletion. As we recognize the vast scale of this problem, we see the need for both systemic and grassroots responses. This is precisely why, on March 22, 2026, we witnessed the second annual Bedikat HaMayim, a global marine conservation initiative by Repair the Sea (Tikkun Hayam), a Florida-based nonprofit organization.
Bedikat HaMayim (Search the Water) is a powerful adaptation of the traditional Bedikat Chametz, a Passover command to purge leaven from homes. In this modern ritual, volunteer groups from several Jewish communities gather globally to cleanse bodies of water from plastic pollutants and other potential sources of aquatic pollution. This initiative, rooted in Jewish values, calls us to align spiritual practice with environmental stewardship.
When we incorporate the mission of Bedikat HaMayim into Jewish life, we align our spiritual values with environmental responsibility. We become part of a global movement rooted in care, repair, and restoration. It is Tikkun Olam in action—especially when we recognize that over 70% of the earth is covered by water. Bedikat HaMayim keeps the challenges facing our water bodies and marine life present in our collective consciousness, while offering ongoing opportunities for meaningful action grounded in Jewish principles.
In my view, marine conservation should matter to every Jew—perhaps as much as Tzedakah and Gemilut Hasadim. Water is not only a life force; it is foundational in the Torah—from the account of creation in Bereshit to the parting of the Red Sea. It is a sacred resource that sustains all life. Without it, humanity cannot exist.
I was once unaware of the deep connection between marine conservation, environmental stewardship, and the core tenets of my beliefs and practices as a Jew. That changed in 2024, when I was contacted by Avraham Ben Avraham to write about the debut of Reverse Tashlich in West Africa. Since then, I have closely followed the work of Tikkun HaYam (Repair the Sea), and I have come to see that caring for our waters is not separate from our faith—it is an expression of it.
The second annual Bedikat HaMayim, which took place on that Sunday, garnered volunteers and participants worldwide engaged in a pre-Pesach marine cleanup, and the impact was profound. The Kwania Jewish community in northern Uganda, participating for the first time, gathered on the shores of Lake Kwania, collecting 13 sacks of plastic waste that littered the pathway to the nearby lake. Alongside them, the Save the Nile Foundation on Buvuma Island rescued two nets of plastic bottles, adding to its growing stock waiting to be sorted and shipped off the island to recycling plants. The Elburgon Jewish community in Kenya uprooted some aquatic weeds from the Njane dam, a source of irrigation water for the mountain settlements, water for animals, and fish. In Nigeria, players from Maccabi FC Nigeria, along with students from the Gihon Eden Academy, carried out garbage removal from around Jabi Lake in the Abuja city center.
At the Atlantic coast in Southern Nigeria, we saw cleanup actions from the student team of Brachot Yeshiva, which recently renamed its computer lab after Tikkun Hayam’s Rabbi Ed Rosenthal. Additionally, in Ghana, volunteers organized a shoreline cleanup along the coast of Accra, while in Cameroon, a team from Beth Goshen gathered at the shores of the Yaoundé municipal lake, removing plastic buildup along its shores. In Uganda, besides Kwania and the Buvuma teams, a group in Mbale from the Namanyonyi community also contributed, clearing debris from the banks of Namatala River. Beyond Africa, volunteers also participated from America, Europe, Asia, and Australia, making the event a truly worldwide movement gaining traction with every stride.
Although Bedikat HaMayim made its debut just last year, it has already sparked a wave of participation across Africa, from West to East to Central Africa. This second annual event is quickly becoming a major global initiative of Repair the Sea. Its origins are rooted in volunteers who, after participating in Reverse Tashlich, called for more frequent cleanups rather than limiting them to just one annual event, specifically the primary pre-Rosh Hashanah Reverse Tashlich marine cleanup.
As a result, a sustained momentum has emerged: volunteers who once joined Reverse Tashlich are now embracing Bedikat HaMayim as a complementary, year-round practice. This evolution is fostering a deeper commitment to marine stewardship. By doing more throughout the year, we build a lasting global effort that is essential to tackling the growing plastic crisis, which threatens marine ecosystems and biodiversity.
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