Kids spread a little kindness
Students from Hackensack’s public schools gathered at CareOne at Wellington on May 24 to pack lunches and decorate cards for the needy. The students spent their day off participating in the Kindness Hour, under the direction of Rabbi Mendy Kaminker, the co-director of Chabad of Hackensack. “Kindness Hour aims to change a day off into a day of giving to others,” Rabbi Kaminker said. “Hackensack’s schools emphasize the importance of empathy and kindness to others. This is a chance for students to put those values to practice.”
The Kindness Hour initiative came after the Hackensack City Council proclaimed April 16 to be Education and Sharing Day and encouraged all residents to reach out to young people to work to create a more hopeful city for all. The proclamation read, in part, “The character of our young people is strengthened by serving a cause greater than self… By instilling a spirit of service in our children, we create a more optimistic future for them.”
The day also recognized the late Lubavitcher rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, who brought education and sharing to the forefront of public discourse. “The rebbe wanted all of us — regardless of background or standing — to become givers,” Rabbi Kaminker said. “Each and every one of us has something we can share with others; some way we can improve someone else’s life.”
For more information, go to KindnessHour.com.
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