I left synagogue a few minutes ago, and said to someone "It's my hope that when 100 Jews gather in a place, they actually leave it cleaner than they found it." He laughed.
I want to know why that's funny. Why shouldn't 100+ religious Jews, after a week or a month of selichot, in and around their place of worship, in the community that is their pride and home, in the land they call holy, on the eve of the new year and the days of awe/judgment, create a space that is the fitting welcome for their king/lord/master/judge?
And if that't too heavy a question, how about "Is it really such a big ask to just leave a place a little nicer than you found it?"
And if that's not direct enough, I invite everyone who lives here, every time you leave your abode, to pick up one piece of garbage on the way, and if you can't find one, then find some other way to leave the space(s) you are passing through a little better than you found it. I also invite you to share what you are taking on.