Once, I travelled alone to Israel. It’s main city, Jerusalem, is a huge drawcard of history, faiths, foods, and culture. I found a delightful small book in that city,quite by chance in a dusty secondhand shop, titled - “Raising Your Child to be a Mensch” by American Jewish Rabbi (teacher) and Author, Neil Kursham. It’s one of my book treasures.
No, I didn’t then know what a mensch was, or is, either.
Here’s an exerpt from my book “Dear Young Adults of the World. NZ Edition”
Here’s a big new word for you, menschlichkeit.
“Menschlichkeit is the art of becoming a Mensch – a decent, responsible, caring person in the real world of today.”
In 2025, the world is not like your parents and grandparents world. It’s both much better, an exciting world, and much worse, a scary world.
1. Exciting world.
You can do just about anything if you really want to, and are prepared to do the hard work, step by step.
There’s endless opportunities to fly high. Do you want to go for top education, become rich, travel, use your intelligence, mix with the go-getters, achieve at sport, the arts, take risks, come out on top, be independent and free, be successful in business, leadership, career, public life, more?
Then you’ll be aiming for the moon! Even if you miss you’ll land among the stars.
And there’s plenty of room at the top, and you’re planning to be there. Great!
2. Scary world.
Constant changes. Technology pushes us forwards, costs us heaps.
Instant electronic connections.
Less personal connections. Plastic rules – just throw it away.
Fast food. Fast lifestyles.
Many broken families, unhappiness and insecurities. Violence.
Hard to get a job.
Struggle to pay the bills and raise the family.
Corruption in high places.
Winners and losers mentality.
A world busy at wars.
Haves versus Have-nots.
Growing inequalities, blatant injustices.
Bullying.
The drinking and drug scene. Crime.
Poor you. Life’s not fair. You never had a chance. Luck was never on your side. You think you’ll never get ahead.
So it’s a rotten world.
Hey! How do you see your world? What do YOU believe and think?
Where do YOU fit in? What’s YOUR happiness life-score?
Fact:
We’re all born to have a blessed life- rich in good things like plenty of food, caring families, good health, purpose and happiness. In return for this good life, our job is to manage this wonderful world so that all people can enjoy, benefit from and share in these blessings.
Fact:
We humans have got choices. If we manage our life well, there’s plenty of good things for everyone. It’s up to us. This is a hard challenge. The best answer is to grow our human-ness to take charge of our life, and contribute back into the world’s well-being in all sorts of ways.
Maybe our younger generation will do better than the status quo. I hope so. Plenty already are.
But being a world citizen starts at home, with you and me.
Points to ponder.
Your life is a journey, from natural childhood insecurity to grown-up confidence and success.
You gain confidence by living life, doing things, getting involved, sometimes making mistakes, then learning from them, and moving ahead on a better track.
Youth is a time of testing whether what your parents and others have taught you is the best way.
Life’s not an academic subject where you get a degree at University.
Life’s an exciting adventure about becoming a happy, useful, employable, and good human being. Like a mensch!
Yes, the world needs more Mensches! Be a Mensch! Take a chance!