This year I'm doing a literature study with my junior high students. We chose the book, Wonder by RJ Palacio. This moving story is already familiar to many of them, but as a pre reading activity before the holidays I wanted to introduce the book again.
We started with three new vocabulary words: precept, empathy, and perspective discussing and defining each of the words.
Then I wrote the first precept that Auggie's teacher Mr. Browne has written on his board onto mine...
"When given the choice between being right and being kind, be kind. - Dr. Wayne Dyer"
I asked for interpretations and examples. One boy told me that recently a friend came up to him with a new haircut that looked awful and asked his opinion. So he asked if he like it himself. When he answered yes, he said he was excited for him. He didn't lie, he chose to be kind.
We left for our two week holiday break with the thought of how to balance being right and being kind. We start officially reading the book after Sukkot.
This September precept that is presented in the book is so important and woefully lacking in our world. This self entitled and me-centric view of the world is toxic. It's a poison that infects our brains. One that doesn't allow us to disagree. One that forbids us from exchanging ideas, debating them, and perhaps even changing our point of view.
Kindness is a powerful yet excruciatingly underused virtue in the last 5 years. Specifically these last nearly two years of war with Gaza has showcased the black and white world views that most people take.
Us vs Them
Self proclaimed right. Self determined wrong.
As we, Jews, move through the days of Awe. The holiest of Jewish holidays; Rosh HaShana, Yom Kippur and Sukkot culminating in Simchat Torah, we bang on our chests and cry out our confessions and transgressions. We proclaim that Gd is in charge of the universe and in that we ask to be inscribed in the book of life for the coming year.
We also approach 2 years of war and are teetering on the possibility of a ceasefire, peace deal. Greta Thunberg's flotilla is being boarded and 48 hostages are still in Gaza. A mere 20 are estimated to still be alive.
Listen more.
Show empathy.
Choose kindness over being right.
Beat swords into plowshares and perhaps then the world will finally know war, no more.
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