Be a Mensch: Unleash Your Power to Be Kind and Help Others

by Elisa Udaskin

Overview

Live a more satisfying life and improve relationships by giving more of yourself to others.

Who doesn't want to be a mensch? Someone who exudes kindness, integrity, and honor. The type of person who knows what to say when a friend's loved one passes away or how to react with empathy and grace when someone at work is being a total schmuck. The kind of person your bubbie or grandma would be proud of.

Getting into the mensch mindset takes practice. But simple shifts in your approach to everyday interactions can help you find your inner mensch, revitalizing and strengthening your personal and professional relationships and the values you pass on to your family.

A collection of humorous stories and practical advice-sprinkled with a healthy dose of Yiddish humor-Be a Mensch shows how to incorporate kindness into your daily life and help others through difficult situations. It challenges you to get off your tuches and get involved, not only to help others but to improve your own life too.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781735634609
Publisher:	Caring Organizer, LLC
Publication date:	11/16/2020
Pages:	202
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.46(d)

About the Author

Elisa Udaskin is a seasoned marketing leader with twenty years of experience in Fortune 500 company Mondelez International. She is the founder of Caring Organizer, a website designed to help people support others during difficult times.

Elisa's greatest passion is to cook and nurture her family and friends. She always keeps homemade chicken soup on hand in case someone she knows could use an extra bit of comfort and support. Elisa currently lives in Morristown, New Jersey, with her husband, two teenage children, and loveable Newfie, Thomas.

Table of Contents

CONTENTS

Introduction ix

Chapter One: So, What's with All the Yiddish? . . . . . . . . . 1

Chapter Two: You're Already a Mensch (or at Least You

Thought You Were) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Chapter Three: Ess, Mein Kinde, Ess 33

Chapter Four: Are You Meshugenah? 45

Chapter Five: The Kinde, They Can Make Us So Proud . . . . .70

Chapter Six: Be a Mensch at Work 94

Chapter Seven: Time to Really Be a Mensch: Death . . . . . . .115

Chapter Eight: Time to Really Be a Mensch: Illness . . . . . . 141

Chapter Nine: Get Over Yourself and Off Your Tuches . . . .153

Chapter Ten: They Are Being So Difficult . . . . . . . . . . .168

Conclusion: Unleash Your Inner Mensch . . . . . . . . . . . .178

Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .179

Glossary of Yiddish Words and Expressions 181

About the Author 185

Editorial Reviews

In Be a Mensch: Unleash Your Power to Be Kind and Help Others, author Elisa Udaskin weaves a passion for kindness with her Jewish heritage, sharing whimsical tales to uplift and inspire. From trials and tribulations to moments of endearing compassion, readers are reminded that every act of kindness matters and it's never too late to show that kindness to others. As an added bonus, each chapter spotlights a variety of Yiddish words that make this book stand out among others. You, too, can be a mensch after reading this book!

-Tamara Letter, MEd, instructional coach, technology integrator, and author of A Passion for Kindness: Making the World a Better Place to Lead, Love, and Learn

In Be A Mensch, Elisa Udaskin shares practical and actionable ways to be kind in our everyday lives-and in a variety of contexts. Kindness transcends culture, time, and our individual circumstances. This book is truly an inspiring and uplifting read!

-Keisha Blair, founder of the Institute on Holistic Wealth and best-selling author of Holistic Wealth: 32 Life Lessons to Help you Find Purpose, Prosperity and Happiness.

Be a Mensch tells the story of the simple power of kindness and the positive impact it has on people's lives. Told through the lens of real-life situations drawing on the familial beliefs and often humorous moments of Jewish experiences, it provides life lessons on the power of kindness. This book is uplifting and the message is clear: it doesn't matter who you are, where you grew up, what your religion is, or what your status is, being kind to others unleashes the power in all of us. Kindness is a choice and the magic ingredient that elevates us to love more, do more, care more, and achieve more as humans.

-Dino Bianco, CEO, Kruger Products

Too often, as we get caught up in the chaos of our own lives - whether personal or professional - and particularly, now as we manage through the pandemic, we forget about the basics of humanity. Through Yiddish, an oft-forgotten language that captures the essence of an emotion or a moment like no other, poignant personal stories and practical advice, Elisa Udaskin reminds us of what matters most in any situation: being kind to others.

--Lisa Kimmel, Chair & CEO, Edelman Canada; Chair, Latin America and Global Women's Equality Network

Written in conversational tone, and full of stories meant to inspire the reader, this is a laid-back, down-to-earth look at our society and how we can improve it one small act at at time. The author is great about incorporating her real-life experiences, both positive and negative, and allowing us to learn from her mistakes. She makes suggestions that are actually attainable, and reaches out to followers and nonfollowers alike.

--NetGalley Reviewer

From the Publisher