Of all the foods that play an important role in Jewish ritual life, perhaps the most overlooked in terms of its transformative symbolism is the lowly breadcrumb. Each Rosh Hashanah we loft these penitential panko into flowing waters, then stand at the ready with spoon, feather and candle as they mysteriously wash ashore six months later inside our toaster, behind our fridge, or surreptitiously planted, like the murder weapon from a bad episode of Law and Order, in an easy-to-reach corner of our home, waiting to be swept up, pronounced null and void, and burnt to a (inedible) crisp. Normally sitting innocently atop our mac & cheese, or (not so innocently) in our clams casino, why were these crumbs chosen to represent our most hidden sins, or (as the chasidim teach), our haughtiest arrogance? Why must we Jews endure this twice-yearly crouton crucible?

The answer is not in the crumbs themselves. Like literature’s most famous breadcrumbs, these ritual crumbs are ephemeral - they will not lead us back out of the forest in which we are wandering. Like Jonah, they are hurled into the frothy deep each yamim nora’im**, and yet, like Jonah, wind up right back where they were fleeing - leaving us once again scratching our heads, and emptying our pockets.

Perhaps the breadcrumb’s transformative power can be found in those ritual objects with which they are most intimately connected: the candle, the spoon and the feather on Pesach; and our pockets on Rosh Hashanah. Together, these four items can be taken to represent four major categories of consumption: Energy (candle), food (spoon), clothing (feather), and money (pockets). In our daily lives, it is easy to become overwhelmed and discouraged at the prospect of radically altering our lifestyles in order to achieve a more just and sustainable world. The lowly breadcrumb surfaces twice a year to remind us that subtle changes in how we exist on this planet can result in substantial progress towards tikkun olam. Remember - poor Jonah became so overwrought at the fate of an entire people that he neglected the simple tending of the plant at his feet. This year, let’s make every crumb count.

Here are a few “crumby” ideas, some practical, some inspirational:

Candle: Here’s a $50 device that you attach to your existing shower head. It automatically stops the water flow when it reaches the desired temperature, leaving you free to brush your teeth, etc. while waiting for the shower to heat up, without wasting unnecessary water.

Spoon: Burger King has announced that it will began taking the humane treatment of animals into consideration when purchasing eggs and meat for all its restaurants. While not switching to 100% free-range organic overnight, even PETA has agreed that the 2% of Burger King’s eggs that will now be certified cage-free is a monumental step in the right direction. Perhaps someday they will reach the level of a Wolfgang Puck, who has announced that all his restaurants’ animal products will now be 100% cruelty-free.

Feather: Treehugger.com has a great collection of resources for greening your wardrobe. One of the simplest ways to lower your environmental impact while upping your fashion quotient is to buy vintage, second-hand clothing!

Pockets: Since the advent of the microloan, you don’t have to be a Rockefeller to have your money go a long way towards helping others. Here are three great organizations that will pool your money with others, to turn pocket change into planet-change.

**If we carry this analogy of Jonah as breadcrumb to its logical conclusion, then the “whale” that swallows him is actually the first gefilte (ie stuffed) fish in recorded history!