SAN DIEGO — Yom Kippur begins on Sunday evening. It is considered to be the most holy day of the Jewish year. It is the only holiday even more special than Shabbat. But what makes this one day so important? It is a day devoted to thinking; thinking about yourself, thinking about your friends and family, about the world, and about God. It is finding out how you fit in and what you can do to make this world a better place for everyone.
But, you are only one small person in a huge world of people. What can you do that will make a difference? Here is a story to help explain.
A young child walked along the beach with his mother. They came across a girl staring at a hundred starfish washed up on the sand. The water had gone out, and the starfish were stranded. The girl picked up a starfish and tossed it as far into the water as she could. Then she went back for another one.
The boy stopped and asked, “There are too many starfish here for you to save. They will die before you can get even a few of them into the water. You won’t make much of a difference, so why continue?”
The girl picked up another starfish and tossed it into the water. “I can make a big difference for this one,” she said.
What you can do: On Yom Kippur, think about how you can do something to make San Diego a better place. Maybe you can sort through your old clothes or toys and donate some to the homeless? Once it’s safe, maybe you can volunteer to help clean up the beach? If you’re out with your parent, smile with your eyes (but keep on your mask) and say hi to people who pass by. Even in your house, you can offer to help your parents, your brother or sister, or even just play with you dog or cat. There are many ways you, too, can make a difference.
Shana Tovah!
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Marcia Berneger is a retired elementary school teacher as well as a teacher at Torah school. She is the author of such children’s books as Buster the Little Garbage Truck, and A Dreidel in Time.