I hope those of you who observe it have had an easy fast.
(I wasn’t planning to fast today, but I do wish I had remembered it was a holy day somewhere earlier than right when I was finishing a bowl of popcorn. Oops. I do need to keep hydrated – I tend to get sick if I don’t – but I think I’ll go swap the rest of my Coke for plain water.)
I hope that 5772 will be a year of peace and prosperity around the world; that the tides that seem to be ebbing in so many areas – financial, social, and so on – reverse and come back in so that 5772 is remembered as a year of good things, of pleasant surprises, of people learning to hear and appreciate each other. We have all sinned before each other; let us not only pray for compassion but foster it in ourselves, not only pray but also work to bring an end to pestilence, war, and famine around us, eliminating hate and oppression from the earth. (I am misquoting the Avinu Malkeinu here; it’s OK to ask but we need to do as well.
Also, while I’m thinking about it, I want to donate some money. A recent email from Chabad.org reminded me that the High Holidays are a traditional time to donate. They meant ‘donate to us’, but instead, this year while so many in the US are hurting and desperate, I want to do something about poverty there. What I’d really like is something like Kiva.org, but focused on the US – that idea of setting someone up so they can support themselves. I know about Modest Needs, but last time I looked there, so many of the stories sounded like “I am desperate. Please send me $100 so I can get out of my hole today, but I’ll probably be right back in it tomorrow.” Rather than give $100 there, I’d really rather give someone $200 or $300, so they can buy tonight’s dinner and also lumber, nails and a hammer to build a cover over that hole, so they don’t fall in again. I guess DonorsChoose.org might be one good place. Any other suggestions about where to donate?