Kindness

About

Who’s behind the kindness?

Ottawa’s Kindness Week Chair: Rabbi Reuven Bulka
Spiritual leader of the congregation Machzikei Hadas and a well-known community leader around Ottawa, Rabbi Bulka is often approached to lend his name, wisdom and support to many community causes. On more than one occasion, he has been asked to participate in activities against anti-Semitism and other initiatives aimed at fighting injustice and intolerance.
“All very important causes,” he said four years ago, “but I’d rather fight for something positive than be against something negative.”
The rabbi set about meeting with other community leaders all around the city and across all sectors. He wanted to know: what if we could make Ottawa a kinder community? Would we need to spend so much time on anti-bullying, anti-racism and issues of mistrust? Or is there an easier and more effective way to spread the kindness?
The rabbi’s questioning struck a chord in many. The Kind Ottawa Steering Committee was created shortly after and planning for Ottawa’s first annual Kindness Week celebration was under way. Since its beginning in 2008, the idea of encouraging the spread of kindness across the nation’s capital has attracted many like-minded community members — and the list of partners continues to grow. In 2010, Ottawa Centre MPP Yasir Naqvi sponsored a motion that passed unanimously at Queen’s Park to proclaim Kindness Week a province-wide initiative every third week in February.
For Kindness Week 2011, Rabbi Bulka aims to once again spread a kind message across the city: We each have the ability to create the community we want. Make a conscious choice to contribute to a kind Ottawa.

My wish is that this is an everyday event, but alas, it is only a wish.

Ahh Sah
Walk Good