12 January 17 • 2019
jn
views
the trade-offs in our personal and
professional lives when it comes
to changes in our habits, thoughts
and relationships. He opines that
we have many institutions of trust
that need rebuilding, ranging from
journalism and entertainment to
politics and public service. We also
need to live locally, volunteering
in our schools, serving at a soup
kitchen and visiting a nursing
home.
What’
s the solution? What should
we do? Sasse suggests it starts
with the individual turning off the
television, logging off Twitter or
Facebook and putting the smart-
phone in the drawer.
“Go outside and throw a ball
with your son or daughter. Read a
book together. Bake cookies and
take them to a new family that just
moved in across the street. Invite
co-workers you’
ve been meaning to
know out to lunch. Help clean up
after coffee hour. Sign up for a shift
at the animal shelter. Mow your
neighbor’
s lawn, on the sly unde-
tected. Visit a widow.”
Sasse’
s point is to go where the
action is — not in Washington or
on Instagram — but locally, where
real, rich meaningful life is.
“It’
s face-to-face, shoul-
der-to-shoulder, hand-in-hand.
Start — here, now.”
And as the Talmud teaches: “Do
not be daunted by the enormity of
the world’
s grief. Do justly, now.
Love mercy, now. Walk humbly,
now. You are not obligated to com-
plete the work, but neither are you
free to abandon it.”
Ken Winter, former editor and publisher of
the Petoskey News-Review and member
of the Michigan Journalism Hall of Fame,
teaches political science and journalism at
North Central Michigan College in Petoskey
and Michigan State University. This essay
was first published on Domemagazine.com.
TU B’
SHEVAT
continued from page 10
Yiddish Limerick
TU B SHEVAT
We plant a beyml, efsher tzvay
Farvos it’
s Tu b’
Shevat today.
Dos cost nisht much it’
s nor a
“chai”
A price nisht zayer zayer high.
So dri or fir vet zayn OK.
By Rachel Kapen
beyml: a little tree
Efsher tzvay: perhaps two
Farvos: because
Dos: this
Nisht: not
It’
s nor: it’
s only
Zayer: so
Dri or fir: three or four
Vet zayn: will be
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