one of america’s greatest success story is that of a milk shake machine salesperson. he was someone who did not look down when he was doing his work. rather, he looked up. he looked up for business opportunities. on one of his routes, he noticed a particular restaurant was buying a a lot of his equipment. he saw this as an opportunity and went into business with the owners of the restaurant. mr. ray kroc was the salesman and the restaurant was mcdonalds.
the story illustrates that one must always be on the look out for opportunities. this notion does not only apply to business, but also to acts good deeds or mitzvot.
in los angeles, the students at yula boys high school, have incorporated the concept of looking for opportunities to make a difference. their focus has been with the schools staff. on one occasion, they raised funds to get a faculty advisor a pair of tefillin aka phylacteries. with their recent project they went big. they raised $30,000.00, to purchase a car for a beloved math teacher. the teacher, mr. julio castro, had difficult commute. it was reported that he would go at 4:15 a.m. every day to take the bus to school and would return home around 9pm. jewishjournal.com
upon receiving the surprise give, he said. “i feel special. i feel grateful. i am speechless.” he noted that “it’s not just a car. they gave me more time with my family.” jewishjournal.com
leading the fundraising was mr. joshua gerendash, 17, who said “personally, i find more joy in helping people than receiving things myself.” jewishjournal.com
in sum, having one’s eyes and ears for opportunity is a lesson for all aspects of life. as seen here, these students were able to understand their teacher’s struggles and translate it into a meaning act of charity.
The Ten Commandments Project 