Shouldnt Frum people have a KINDNESS MOVEMENT too?

amother

Rose

Wed, Feb 24 2016, 3:18 pm

Shouldnt Frum people have a KINDNESS MOVEMENT too?

Actually shouldnt Frum people to be the first to have a KINDNESS MOVEMENT?

Arent we "Ohr Lagoyim?

If we're Ohr Lagoyim, why are we so cliquish and divisive, among ourselves and towards all the other races? Isnt it time for some bold spirited ambitious caring frum people to start a Kindness movement like this? There are countless advantages, beginning with it being a nice way to educate our children to live. No one is telling you you have to marry someone of another race, but we should be KIND to everyone, and yet we often arent.

smilingmom

Wed, Feb 24 2016, 3:31 pm

Surely you jest!
Have you walked into masbia, the kosher soup kitchen, and see people of all backgrounds there?
Have you walked into Sloan Kettering or other hospitals and see the bikur cholim volunteers cheer up all the children in a room?
Have you seen a display of kindness that equals the chesed done by the Frum community?

tigerwife

Wed, Feb 24 2016, 3:36 pm

OP, it seems like BH you haven't needed to reach out to any of the numerous Frum chesed organizations out there, none of which has ever checked me out to see if I am 'Frum enough' for them. You may want to start volunteering so that you can catch a glimpse of the huge variety of people touched by most organizations I know of.

amother

Rose

Wed, Feb 24 2016, 3:49 pm

You can choose to believe me or not, but Ive spent years volunteering many hours daily.

If Kindness is being taught at home, were failing miserably, because how many times have you walked through religious neighborhoods and heard little kids call non-Jews disgusting names, and how many times have we heard adults in our community use negative labeling towards people of other races and religions? Just because other groups do it too, doesnt excuse us.

Gimme a break.

Yes we have loads of fantastic volunteering going on, but also lots of, probably more than the volunteering, name calling and negativity among different Jewish groups (even very religious brothers, ha ha) and towards non-Jewish people.

Notsobusy

Wed, Feb 24 2016, 5:43 pm

amother wrote:

Do you really think all of those people are always kind, and all of their kids are also always kind?

amother

Lime

Wed, Feb 24 2016, 5:51 pm

And a "stop being so loud and whiny and screaming on your cell phone in the store and on the street and using improper grammar and English and being chutzpahdik and gossipy" movement!

amother

Rose

Wed, Feb 24 2016, 5:56 pm

glutenless wrote:

Do you really think all of those people are always kind, and all of their kids are also always kind?

Absolutely not. Whoever thinks most people are always kind are not playing with a full deck.

At least they're singing the praises of treating all our flesh and blood brothers kindly, showing that its on their agenda, and are making a serious attempt.

And if no one is "always kind" that excuses us, who are supposed to be "Ohr Lagoyoim" from being kind towards others.

naturalmom5

Wed, Feb 24 2016, 6:02 pm

amother wrote:

You can choose to believe me or not, but Ive spent years volunteering many hours daily.

If Kindness is being taught at home, were failing miserably, because how many times have you walked through religious neighborhoods and heard little kids call non-Jews disgusting names, and how many times have we heard adults in our community use bad name words,
Gimme a break.

Yes we have loads of fantastic volunteering going on, but also lots of, probably more than the volunteering, name calling and negativity among different Jewish groups (even very religious brothers, ha ha) and towards non-Jewish people.

1000000%
Unfortunately

Notsobusy

Wed, Feb 24 2016, 7:11 pm

amother wrote:

It doesn't excuse us, but most people I know and see are kind, especially most frum people. Maybe I'm just a more positive person, but I don't see all the name calling and negativity that you're describing.

It bothers me when people only see the negative sides of the frum community, there are some nasty people, but there are so many more who aren't nasty. I'm not even referring to the chesed that goes on, I think most people are inherently nice and kind. Why focus on the few who aren't?

Maya

Wed, Feb 24 2016, 7:31 pm

glutenless wrote:

People can be nice and kind and very involved in lots of chessed, yet still hold attitudes of bigotry and elitism. The two are not mutually exclusive. Perhaps we shouldn't focus just on that, but we shouldn't deny its existence either.

amother

Rose

Thu, Feb 25 2016, 3:43 pm

Chloe wrote:

I think the OP meant a movement of "Acceptance" as opposed to "acts of Kindness".

No, I meant Kindness.

Because acceptance is generally not felt by the ones you accept. Thats generally what goes on one's mind, one's private thoughts.

Acts of kindness are definitely felt, like nice simple gestures, such as a smile, a good word.

amother

Rose

Thu, Feb 25 2016, 6:35 pm

Seas wrote:

Lo S'choneim

Thats why R' Pam a"h, was friendly with the mailman, and greeted him with a smile every day, and many other G'dolim who we read about who went out of their way to be nice to non-Jews or Jews of other backgrounds. Im sure R' Pam's children, and other such Gdolim of our time, were punished if they called any non-Jew or Jew of a different background, by a derogatory name. Not what I see by many others. Adults use many racist names and have no problem with their kids using the names as well.

amother

Rose

Thu, Feb 25 2016, 9:52 pm

Seas wrote:

Your reply is a classic strawman argument.

I so apologize, I guess those who enjoy mistreating others with proof and encouragement from the Torah, know better.

If youre so sure youre right, can you name one Rov or Rebbe who says name-calling and mistreating of other groups of Jews or non-Jews is encouraged and taught in the Torah, with written examples?

I am referring to the Torah that is described below:

Etz-chayim hi lamachazikim bah, vesomcheha me'ushar.....

Etz-Chaim hi, THIS Torah preaches uppityness and mistreatment of innocent humans?

smilingmom

Fri, Feb 26 2016, 7:02 am

amother wrote:

Throughout this thread, there has only been one poster that has put down other people and resorted to name calling. Imamother Rose.

amother

Denim

Fri, Feb 26 2016, 7:27 am

Reb Yaakov Kaminetzky used to live near a monastery in Monsey it was known how he always greeted the nuns. What about all the people that open their homes to all kinds Frum not Frum homeless etc. Bentzion Klatzko who has a real large family of his own has about 50-60 people at his shabbos table. We can always use improvement but we definitely do not have what to be ashamed about only proud