(UPDATE: In response to the questions, "Yomyom" is Hebrew for "Daily." Hence, KosYomyom means DailyKos in Hebrew. Well, technically, it means DailyCup, since "kos" means "cup" in Hebrew, but not much I can do about that!)
That's right, today is Rosh Hashana (er, was, in my time zone)--Tishrei 1, 5769, the first day of the new Jewish year. Happy New Year, everyone!
For the goyim among us, the major themes of Rosh Hashana are ones we can all appreciate: repentance of the past, renewal and rededication in the present, and hope for the future. Sounds kind of like the themes of Obama's campaign to me, don't you think? So, this Rosh Hashana, I challenge you all to make this new year a good one by helping to elect Barack Obama our president.
It's a mitzvah!
No, really. There are loads of ways to help Obama's campaign and get major mitzvah points at the same time. Just look at how these Jewish values tie in:
Hospitality to Strangers--Judaism considers this particular mitzvah to be a biggie. Just look at the Torah: an awful lot of important figures (Abraham and the angels, Lot and the angels, Rebecca and the servant, etc.) are shown making food or drawing water for strangers who stop by, and in turn being blessed for it. So why not open your home to an out-of-state Obama campaign worker who needs a place to stay until November 4? Get in contact with your local Obama campaign HQ...there are almost always more staffers needing housing than there is housing, so they will appreciate it muchly! Alternately, show your hospitality by hosting an Obama house party.
Visiting the Sick--Volunteer to go to local nursing homes or long-term care hospitals and help the residents either register to vote or apply for absentee ballots. (While you're at it, chat with the residents. They appreciate it quite a bit...many of them are rather lonely.)
Giving Aid to the Poor--Clear your November 4 schedule now and volunteer to help shuttle voters who need a ride to the polls. Alternately (or better, additionally), volunteer now to go out to low-income neighborhoods and register voters. Poorer citizens are far less likely than higher-income citizens to be registered to vote, even though they have the most to lose in this election. (And don't forget to donate, both to Obama and to charity!)
Honoring Father and Mother--Talk to your parents. If they already support Obama, try to get them more involved in the campaign. (If they live nearby, offer to attend a campaign event with them, or to go canvassing with them. That way, you and they get a double bonus: spending time with family, and helping Obama at the same time!) If they don't yet support Obama, start explaining, respectfully and with specifics, why you do. There is still time to bring them around...plus, they probably love hearing from you.
Making Peace out of Strife--This fits in with everything you do for the campaign. Always, always, ALWAYS be respectful and good-natured, no matter how obnoxious the person you are talking with is. Rudeness turns people off who might otherwise be swayable...and if the person isn't swayed, your niceness and patience will make them look like a huge jerk in front of everyone else and thus make them more sympathetic to your message. (And speaking of "making peace," that's exactly what a lot of people want to do in Iraq, so it's a good subject to bring up!)
Protecting the Oppressed--Clear your November 4 schedule and volunteer as a poll worker (or observer, especially if you are a lawyer) to make sure that people aren't being illegally denied their voting rights.
Studying with Diligence--It is essential, before you do anything else, that you go to Obama's website and read up on his positions and accomplishments. You will be far more effective at convincing people to vote for him if you go armed with specifics. Also in this category, volunteer to go to the local college/university and register students to vote. Many young people would be more than happy to vote, but have never bothered (or known how) to register.
Praying with Sincerity--If you are not of a religious bent, go ahead and ignore this one. But if you are religious, a little prayer never hurts...and church/synagogue/mosque/temple/whatever house of worship you attend is a great place to talk to other people about politics (just not during the service, of course!) and either convince them to vote Obama or encourage them to volunteer.
These are just a few of the ways to help out, but they make a good (and righteous!) start. To usher in 5769, my family and I welcomed an Obama campaign worker from Illinois into our house today. What are you doing to make this new year better than the last?