The Holy in the Mundane: Winter Warmth Drive

It’s always a little surprising when we find ourselves on the other side of the abundant fall holiday season. Every week for nearly a month, some Jewish people gather, celebrate, pray, and eat (or don’t eat). I love it all (even and especially Yom Kippur – a post for another day!). But I also welcome where we are now, the Jewish month of Cheshvan. Cheshvan has no holidays. We will actually be waiting until almost the end of next month, Kislev, for Chanukah to begin.

One might feel that the absence of holidays is a negative thing. An alternative name for Cheshvan is Marcheshvan, often translated as “Bitter Cheshvan,” and one interpretation is that it is bitter because it is holiday-free. But others flip the two letters that mean bitter (“mar”) and instead refer to this month as Ramcheshvan, which means “Powerful Cheshvan.” So, what is the power and strength signified by this month?

I believe it is precisely in its mundaneness that we find Cheshvan’s holiness. Cheshvan asks us to examine how we live intentionally in the everyday. How do we translate the Rosh Hashanah resolutions, the Yom Kippur introspection, the joy and vulnerability of Sukkot, and the revelations of Simchat Torah into meaningful daily decisions? This month invites us to make choices that reflect our values and aspirations and to consider where we are directing our time, resources, and attention.

Even the most mundane moments in our routines are opportunities for reflection. A person reaching into a full pantry for breakfast might take a moment to remember the many people who don’t have enough food to eat, including nearly 10,000 Jewish people in the Puget Sound area. We just concluded our incredible annual Community-Wide Food Drive and Food Sort, where our community came together to donate more than 1300 bags of food for our Polack Food Bank.

For someone with a closet full of jackets, choosing the right one is primarily a question of trying to predict our mercurial weather. We all know what it’s like to be caught in the rain and cold wearing the clothes you chose for a bright and sunny day. But so many people don’t have the coats and outerwear they need for this Pacific Northwest fall and winter. This is the experience of many refugees and immigrants we work with at JFS. Often, they arrive in this country from warmer climates and are limited in the possessions they can bring.

One of the many ways we can support and welcome our new neighbors is by providing hats, gloves, scarves, and coats to help them stay warm and dry through our Winter Warmth Drive. You can choose from a range of items at different price points on our Amazon Wish List or drop off new items at our office. With your help, we can offer our neighbors daily moments of holiness in the mundane, of feeling connected and cared for in their new home.

This season calls us to think about the little things and examine how we live intentionally in the everyday moments. It also inspires reflection about whether our neighbors have what they need in their everyday lives. Little acts of kindness add up to big impact. Together, we can make a difference for our community.