Doing Good & Friendship:
I am trying to be a good person. Of course, the concept of ‘good’ is at least moderately subjective, but I am doing the best I can. It means a great deal to me to treat others with respect and caring – and to be a class act. When I die, I want to be remembered as a decent human being. Some things I am focusing on are:
The Sweetie Pig Foundation– This is a small family foundation with a mission statement to: Spread Joy And Happiness in the World. I am the Vice President, and my wife is the President. We contribute money every year and back typically small local non-profits that we find inspiring.
Our favorite one so far is Student Partner Alliance, which provides scholarship funding for financially challenged students in Newark to attend Catholic Schools (with awesome nuns as teachers) instead of the rough and tumble Newark public schools. So far, virtually all of our Sweetie Pig girls and boys have graduated and go to college. My wife and I love this.
Mentoring – I have mentored many people in my life. Some are family members. Others include almost-grown kids whose parents would like someone to show their child a good path. I have mentored many people throughout my legal and business careers as well. I am so proud of the amazing achievements of my mentees. And finally – in a more formal manner I have mentored women and Black people to help grow their careers in the real estate industry. All of these efforts have been uplifting for me and beneficial to my mentees. I hope to do more of this for no other reason than it just feels great to help others achieve their potential.
Getting Religion – I am not formally religious in any particular respect. I was born Jewish and remain Jewish for sure; however, I regard it as my duty to study and learn about as many religions as possible. I have learned much already studying Mormonism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Christianity. I believe it would be a blessing to the world if everyone did this.
Combating Antisemitism: I am not doing this solely because I am Jewish, but because targeting groups with negative stereotypes is just plain wrong. This has become a significant initiative for me. I contribute to various organizations dedicated to this purpose, including AIPAC, Stand With Us, and TPS. This will always be a major focus for me.