Daniel Lubetzky

“Life is short, but there is always time enough for courtesy.”
― Ralph Waldo Emerson

KIND team member Jenny Busby tells Univision Chicago about the KINDness sweeping through the windy city. For those who don’t speak lingo, here are some subtitles:

The KIND team rallied Chicagoans to participate in August’s KINDING mission of donating clothing to a local shelter or someone in need. Thanks to the thousands of KINDAHOLICS who participated in this mission, KIND is partnering with the Kyle Korver Foundation to provide school uniforms to Chicago students who would otherwise not be able to afford them.

Spotted by Daniel Lubetzky, by Julianna Storch

My Dad used to tell us a story he conceived about a little bird named Bimbambu when we were kids. It is one of my favorite stories – about a kindly bird who literally sheds all his feathers in order to help other animals fight the winter weather along the way, only to end up without any protection until all the animals come to his aid. This may very well have been one of the subconscious foundations for the creation of KIND and the KIND Movement, as it teaches the important lesson of exhibiting unbridled kindness to everyone we encounter.

And now my sister Ileana has brought the story of Bimbambu to life in a colorful and beautifully designed digital children’s book so that other parents can share Bimbambu’s lessons in kindness with their children too. The Kindle e-book edition is available on Amazon now (and I was able to view it on my Ipad by downloading the free Kindle reader), and I look forward to seeing the print copies in English, Hebrew and Spanish soon!

Fred Schaufeld recently shared a trio of articles by Noam Sheizaf and I just got done reading them. For the most part, they present a very valid if painful perspective analyzing the Israeli thought process.

The gist of the article below reminds me of Gil Shamy’s axiom that pursuing a comprehensive solution with the Palestinians is like going to the dentist for the Israelis: unless they are in pain, they rather hold off.

Some arguments are simplified and some supporting positions are incorrect in fact. For example, the second intifadah was not the impetus for Sharon’s evacuation from Gaza, but for Sharon’s election- it preceded Sharon’s reign, and the impetus for the evacuation was the drive by a significant segment of civil society in 2002-2004 for strategic progress.

And the reason the Arab Peace Initiative gained no traction is at least partly explained by its announcement in early 2002, at a time when our global conscience was still reeling from the 9/11 attacks and the Saudi overture was greeted with skepticism, as a PR stunt to deflect attention from Saudi support for Islamic fundamentalists.

But those are footnotes on a valid and sad thesis, that so long as Israelis are more comfortable with the status quo than with the uncertainties and risks of political change – even if that change holds the potential for far greater happiness for both Palestinians and Israelis – political representatives are unlikely to make bold moves.
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In the wake of the World Bank’s report claiming that the Palestinian economy remains too weak to support a state, Isabel Kershner highlighted the positive high-tech growth underway in her New York Times piece. Grants, training programs, and ambition are enabling Palestinians to develop an economy based on technology and communications. As a result, they can positively engage in business with Israelis in the role of producers as well as consumers. Let’s hope that the continued growth of the Palestinian economy leads to more cooperation between Palestinians and Israelis in business and elsewhere.

Spotted by Daniel Lubetzky, by Julianna Storch

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“I don’t know the key to success,
but the key to failure is trying to please everybody.”
-Bill Cosby

Nathan Thrall’s piece in the New York Times Sunday Review paints a foreboding picture of violence on the horizon in the Middle East with Israelis growing increasingly complacent and Palestinians becoming ever more frustrated with the status quo.

Spotted by Daniel Lubetzky, by Julianna Storch

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The Huffington Post published “21 Acts of Kindness That Will Make You Believe in the Human Race.” With actions  both carefully planned and spontaneously performed, the 21 inspiring stories remind us that kindness can come in all shapes and sizes from people of all ages.

Here are some of Daniel’s top picks:

Ohio high school track star Meghan Vogel opted finish last and carry an injured runner through the end of a race rather than claiming the first place medal for herself.

12 year-old Ian McMillan generously gave up a baseball that he caught in the stands of a game when he saw a younger boy crying over his failure to make the catch.

Eldad Hagar and his wife Audrey rescued a dog in terrible condition from a trash heap, nursed her back to health, and found her a caring new home.

Sean O’Connor posted a request on Reddit for people to send letters to his terminally ill uncle with Down Syndrome and received an overwhelming response.

Spotted by Daniel Lubetzky, by Julianna Storch

My friend Ruben Navarrette wrote this insightful article about the ascendance of Julian Castro and Ted Cruz into the national political stage. He persuasively argues that this is a potentially game-changing opportunity for the Latino community, and for America overall, and that it is healthy for Latinos to prominently participate in both parties and not be taken for granted.

I have met Julian Castro once for lunch and was enormously impressed. Like President Obama, he transcends the checkbox of an impressive ethnic leader. He is without doubt a man of great character, powerful intellect, and sincerity of purpose: dedicated to help improve society. His ascendance will surely help America increase its competitiveness and global leadership.

On the need to improve the lot of the Latino community, for their benefit and that of all, we have a long way to go, particularly on perceptions among the broad population. My sense is most Latinos are well liked but viewed monochromatically as the hired help, as unsophisticated laborers. So these role models will help.

We similarly could benefit from a Hispanic version of the 80s Cosby Show or other entertainment icon that gives proper dimension to Latino values and character. Chuey and the (I think?) Mexican guy that helps Jimmy Kimmel are funny but won’t help on this front because they just reinforce the stereotype of the cute diminutive curious specimen. The movie A Better Life, one of the best movies I’ve seen in years, and one that is still haunting me, at least highlighted the strong working and family values, and the incredible challenges and injustices, that indigent Immigrants have and face. But it is not a story that would gain wide distribution, or that would challenge the stereotype.

I think I wrote an earlier post about how poorly Latinos fare in American Idol, an unscientific barometer for how some exceptional performers were dismissed by the population. This season the Judges finally exercised their power to push through the candidacy of a Latino star, but it only further demonstrated the challenge we face.

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“A problem well stated is a problem half solved.”
- Charles Franklin Kettering