“It is not enough to be busy; so are the ants. The question is: What are we busy about?”
- Henry David Thoreau
Ynet News, Elior Levy
Elior Levy Jenin, once the home of suicide bombers, is now the quietest city in the West Bank. After 4 attempted attacks at the Jalamah checkpoint, the residents realized their economic prosperity could stop, and rushed to restore calm; ‘an attack at the checkpoint is an attack against us,’ says local businessman.
Jenin, once a stronghold of suicide bombers, is the quietest town in the West Bank these days. After four attempted terror attacks at the nearby Jalamah checkpoint, the people there understood their economic prosperity could be endangered and immediately took action to calm things down.
It’s a quiet morning hour at the entrance gate leading into Jenin. Palestinian workers are standing on the other side of the Gilboa-Jalamah checkpoint, waiting for the contractors to pick them up. Some light up a morning hookah and smoke while sitting on one of the nearby benches in the checkpoint’s well-taken-care-of entrance. A few Palestinian businessmen, wearing nice suits, are quickly making their way from one side to the other. An outsider passing by wouldn’t be able to tell that Israel and the Palestinian Authority were in the midst of the worst escalation of violence since the second intifada.
I am a Muslim. But Trump’s views appall me because I am an American.
Published under Leadership, Religion, United States Dec 14, 2015
“I know of no single formula for success. But over the years I have observed that some attributes of leadership are universal and are often about finding ways of encouraging people to combine their efforts, their talents, their insights, their enthusiasm and their inspiration to work together.”
- Queen Elizabeth II
KIND Spotting: A True Act of Strength & Kindness
Published under Introspection, KIND Snacks, Kinded Dec 02, 2015As shared on our KIND Snacks Blog:
Great acts of kindness move us to the core and the story of Margarita Rojas Suarez does just that. Margarita is a grandmother living in Mexico who dedicates her life to caring for her grandson, Othon, who is living with cerebral palsy. Due to this medical condition, Othon is confined to a wheelchair and is unable to walk or perform most daily activities without assistance. Although Margarita is in her late 80s, she carries Othon up and down stairs and on and off multiple city buses so that he can receive treatment at a rehabilitation center that is helping him learn to walk. She selflessly does this, day in and day out, to give her grandson the best chance at a bright future. Her commitment is steadfast and her love is unwavering. Thank you, Margarita, for showing us the infinite strength in your kindness.
Watch the video above to learn more about Margarita and Othon’s story. Though the video was published a few years ago, its message is timeless. For English subtitles, click the “cc” icon on the video bottom banner and select the bar that says “Spanish.” Select “Translate Captions” and choose English as your language.
KIND wants the FDA to redefine “healthy” to include salmon, avocados—and its own nut bars
Published under Health, KIND Snacks Dec 01, 2015
Yedioth Ahronoth – November 30, 2015
Regards from Medieval Times
By Nahum Barnea
An American acquaintance of mine got up one morning after a sleepless night, read the newspapers, brought herself up to speed on the social networks, and told her husband in a minor state of panic: “The Middle Ages are making a comeback.” When he asked what she meant, she said: the massacres being committed by ISIS in Syria and Boko Haram in Africa; the terror attacks in Sinai and Paris; the knifing terror attacks in Israel and the territories; the xenophobia in Europe and the United States; the statements being made by contenders in the race to become the Republican Party’s presidential candidate.
That is certainly quite a long inventory. Even if the Middle Ages aren’t really making a comeback—history repeats itself only in poems—it seems to me that millions of people, members of competing nations and religions, today yearn for the values that reigned in Europe during those dark days. The world is too complicated for them: they want it simple, basic, visceral and unambiguous. Either you submit to me on everything, or you’re to be sentenced to death.
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“Human history is not the battle of good struggling to overcome evil. It is a battle fought by a great evil struggling to crush a small kernel of human kindness.”
-Vasily Grossman