How to Make a Mensch
What makes a good person? I have been thinking about this a lot lately, as I check my news feed each morning and as I find myself harboring less lovely thoughts. It turns out that the world of Jewish camping has a really solid answer. Jewish camping, not unlike Christian camping, seems to exist to serve, shape, and nurture the faith and full humanity of campers. I recently attended a conference with other church camp folks, and one of my colleagues shared the treasure below, which he had discovered earlier from a Jewish friend at an interfaith gathering of camp leaders: In Judaism, the word "mensch" describes an upstanding member of society, a person of integrity and honor, and the word comes from the Yiddish word for "good person." This chart, like a recipe for decency, serves well for reflection and self-assessment. It seems as important as ever to try to take stock of how we are doing - not just in camp or even church/synagogue circles but on the widest scale pos...
