OTTAWA—The idea of launching a "Kindness Initiative" came to Rabbi Reuven Bulka a few years ago when he noticed so much bad news in the newspapers and thought it would be better to focus on the good in people.
"There were lots of stuff in the newspapers about hate speech, bullying, gangs, … so much bad news that I thought it wouldn't be a bad idea if we could focus on good news, on the good things that people do, the good things that people are capable of doing," said Bulka.
The rabbi is a well-known Ottawa community leader and a respected author of more than thirty books on Jewish topics. He has been the rabbi of Ottawa's Congregation Machzikei Hadas since 1967 and also serves as co-president of the Canadian Jewish Congress.
When Bulka discussed his idea with other community members, he found many like-minded supporters. They formed a steering committee with partners from all sectors of the community, including the media, businesses, schools, charities, service organizations, and the police department.
Their efforts culminated in the launch of the first annual Ottawa Kindness Week, February 15 to 24.
Under the theme of "Choose to Be Kind," the event aims to celebrate, inspire, and encourage "the kindness that can be" by showcasing the profound impact that simple acts of kindness can have on people and communities.
A "Caught You Being Kind" program is in place inviting nominations of people, workplaces and organizations deserving of recognition for kindness.
Ottawa's bus service, OC Transpo, is donating a bus to carry a "Kindness Crew" of university students who have volunteered to travel around the city to commit "surprise acts of kindness," such as helping shovel snow and carry groceries.
For people "caught" committing random acts of kindness, Ottawa police will give out "Kindness Citations" that can be redeemed for a treat at Ottawa's well-loved Rideau Bakery.
And during the week there will be more than 200,000 "Kindness Cards" in circulation in the region. Recipients are invited to post their story on the www.kindottawa.ca website to tell how they received the card or how they encouraged kindness by passing the card on to someone else.
Benjamin posted his story: "I lost my tooth while at Walter Baker swimming pool and a nice man with goggles dove and dove until he found my tooth for me at the bottom of the pool so I could give it to the tooth fairy."
Chantal de Chevigny's story is about a man on her bus who always gives his seat to any woman without a seat. "He always does without [in order] to give to others, young or old."
Lisa Mackay told about a neighbour who helped someone else despite being in need herself. "Helping other people in their time of need even when you are struggling yourself is what kindness is all about. It's not about 'paying back,' it's about 'paying forward!'" she wrote.
Rabbi Bulka said that "everybody who does an act of kindness feels better for doing it, and a person who has had an act of kindness done for them feels better for that."
"Number one, it's free. Secondly, it makes other people feel good, and thirdly, it will make you feel good. In other words, kindness is a win-win-win." Instead of people ignoring and drawing away from one another, "society in general will get uplifted by it," he said.
And "the more kindness you have, the less that bad stuff has a chance to rear its ugly head."
Bulka gave the example that "if you have schools in which in every class the emphasis is on doing good things for each other, it can go a long way toward eliminating bullying, because it makes kindness the 'in' thing, the right thing, and the enjoyable thing."
He hopes Kindness Week becomes an annual Ottawa event and eventually grows to become a national event.
"If people are wired for doing good things, they'll continue to do more good things, and won't think of bad things," said Bulka.
Kindness Week is an opportunity to reflect on "what's really going on in the world," he added, "because I think it includes probably more good things than we realized, and certainly more good things than bad things."
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