October 26, 2011

B’reishit:  “In the beginning…”

Last week, Jews around the world began anew the cycle of Torah. In it, G-d separates light from darkness, the sky from the water, order from chaos. We learn that we are responsible, despite our transgressions, to maintain a creative partnership with G-d, G-d who is compassionate, empathetic, generous, and of whose image we are created.

Tuesday, November 8th, is our Out of the Cold beginning. To us, beginning anew means refusing to accept things as they are.  It means believing that, with effort, the power of good can and will overcome the daunting power of the status quo.

New beginnings demand that we dream a better future and relentlessly ask “why not?” In Season Twelve of our ever-changing program, we strive to control what challenges us.  Case in point. The three-morning-a-week breakfast program which we hosted last year from The Wesley Centre proved so successful in meeting the needs of on average 70 guests a day, that OOTC has expanded our role to five mornings.

Once again, we are disappointed to learn that the Hamilton Food Share start up donation of non-perishable foods will not be realized. Therefore, we will have to be even more careful with our budget and resourceful.

Although most of our volunteers are returning, we would welcome some help in the morning cooking department.  Know anyone with a little experience or a lot of enthusiasm?

There’s an old Yiddish proverb, “You can’t control the wind, but you can adjust your sails.”  Let’s get ready to jibe.  As always, your creative solutions and ideas are welcome.

Our coordinator of volunteers are Lila Strub and Behrad Garmsiri. If you are on a shift from 4 pm until close, please communicate to them if you are unable to attend. Lila Strub (905)628-4390; estrub1@cogeco.ca   Behrad Garmsiri  (416)843-7772; behrad.garmsiri@gmail.com

“God saw how good each of His creations was.” When it comes to OOTC, I must admit that my spirituality and connection to religion spikes.  In the Canadian Jewish News, Sept. 24 /11, Rabbi Baskin writes, “Adopt a spiritual attitude toward life.  At its best, such an attitude says yes to the universe….Despite its manifold secrets and mysteries, the world displays order and makes sense. Just as a door testifies that it has a carpenter and a coat testifies that it has a weaver, so does the existence of the world testify that it has a Creator.”

See you on November 8th.

Cindy