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Dear John,
In my family, the highest compliment you can give someone is calling him or her a mensch, Yiddish for “an individual of integrity and honor”—or, put simply, a good person.
As the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) sweeps across the globe, claiming thousands of lives and wreaking havoc on entire societies and on our way of life, many of us have never been more afraid. Yet even in the midst of all the uncertainty, we are seeing countless individuals providing comfort to those in quarantine, reaching out to those most vulnerable and speaking up for groups targeted by hate and xenophobia. In short, the world has never needed “menschiness” more – and many are answering the call.
Today AJC is launching #BeAMensch, a new campaign to encourage and highlight these acts of kindness and decency, which lift us all up and illuminate the darkness of the current period with countless points of light.
Each day, we’ll be featuring uplifting stories from across America and around the world at AJC.org/BeAMensch and on AJC’s Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts. Although a mensch generally refers to a person, we’ll also be highlighting mensch-y behavior on the part of groups, institutions, organizations, companies, and even countries – anyone, of any gender or background, can be a mensch!
We’ll also be sharing tips on the sorts of things you can do to be a mensch and lend a helping hand—or elbow—during this challenging time.
Here’s how you can participate:
We’re all in this together. #BeAMensch.
With thanks,
Avi Mayer
AJC Managing Director, Global Communications |
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