The organization is a former member of the American Zionist Movement and has worked in partnership with Ameinu, the Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life (COEJL), Hazon, Interfaith Moral Action on Climate, Interfaith Oceans, GreenFaith, Mercaz/Masorti (Conservative Judaism), the National Religious Coalition on Creation Care, and the Jewish National Fund (JNF)—although Aytzim has long criticized JNF for not prioritizing sustainability and environmental justice in its actions.
[26] In response to perceived negligence in environmentally stewarding the land of Israel, as philosopher Martin Buber first observed,[27] the Green Zionist Alliance (GZA) was founded in 2001 by Alon Tal, Eilon Schwartz and Rabbi Michael Cohen,[28][29] with a large team of other volunteers, including Adam Werbach,[30] Devra Davis and current Aytzim leadership—although its Jews of the Earth project originally was founded by Daniel Ziskin as an independent nonprofit in 1999[31] and merged into Aytzim in 2019.
Through this process, the organization succeeded in the appointment of environmental leaders, including Tal and Schwartz, to the board of the Keren Kayemet L'Yisrael (KKL / Jewish National Fund in Israel).
[45] Aytzim has worked to green the activities of quasi-governmental organizations, such as legacy Zionist organizations Jewish National Fund and the Jewish Agency, including the installation of rooftop energy-generating solar panels and indoor energy-efficient lighting;[5][46] the planned transition of vehicles in their fleets to high fuel-efficiency and alternative-fuel models;[46] the development of seven-year environmental plans, inspired by the shmita sabbatical cycle, to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions in Israel;[5] the inclusion of environmental education for new immigrants to Israel;[5][46] the development of community gardens at immigrant-housing centers;[46] and increased support for in-country carbon-mitigating projects and local organic agriculture.
[77] Some of Aytzim's efforts with partners were initially successful but ultimately failed, such as its partnership with 14 other Jewish organizations—including Hazon, COEJL and the Religious Action Center—in founding the Green Hevra, a now-dormant network of Jewish-environmental organizations,[78] and an effort to develop a now-dormant network of individuals, organizations and communities working to create a healthier and more sustainable world rooted in the values of the shmita cycle.