A Tool to Find Banks that Invest in the Local Economy

The reasons to choose a community bank or credit union range from getting the same services at a lower cost to supporting productive investment instead of speculative trading. But while it’s one thing to think about the qualities that are important in our banks, it’s another to find particular local banks that are enacting them. A new tool, called Bank Local, aims to make that process easier. Bank Local maps every banking institution in the U.S., and uses data from three federal agencies, plus its own algorithm, to assign them a Local Impact Rating. Users can type their address into a bar on the site’s homepage, and find a map and list of how nearby financial institutions compare. Read the complete article and find the link to the “Bank Local” tool at -- https://ilsr.org/a-tool-to-find-banks-that-invest-in-the-local-economy/

Parents Teach Your Children TOV!

I was scrolling through FB the other day and I came upon a wonderful video I had to share. The story takes place in Thailand. Briefly, a mother who is a fruit vender with a cart, with no education appears to be scratching out a living. Her little daughter sees other children enjoying ice cream, but there is no money for her to do the same. Her mother shows her how to cut a pineapple and to make a pop which is put on ice. Her daughter suggests selling them. She takes her pops to the market, but no one buys.

When the girl returned discouraged, her mother tells her this -- go to the market and watch what the other sellers do and you see the little light go on! She did and then she ran home and made her signs and started calling out her wares -- and she was successful. Her mother, whom I'm sure was wondering what she could she possibly teach her daughter, said, "Someday, when I am no longer here, I know she will be just fine."

A recent survey asked a group of younger parents what they felt the role of a parent should be. There were some surprising answers.

A number responded that they wanted to make their children happy, some said to be their best friend, others talked about providing, a few spoke about religion and family values.

I found it interesting that no one answered, "To make sure my children can take care of themselves when I'm not here, to provide them with a Values Standard, by living it ourselves, that will enable them to make good decisions for themselves and for others."

The mother in the video also stressed the importance of being able to solve problems on our own. Helping people evaluate a situation, look for the best options and taking action, is part of Empowered Decision Making!

What does this have to do with TOV? Well, to be TOV, Words Thoughts and Actions must PROTECT LIFE, PRESERVE LIFE MAKE LIFE MORE FUNCTIONAL AND INCREASE THE QUALITY OF LIFE. All of those things were reflected in the actions of that little girl's mother.

TOV belongs not only in the spiritual realm, but in the practical one as well – after all TOV is about Life, all parts of Life!

So parents, Teach Your Children TOV!

Rabbi Jeffrey Leynor

If you like this blog, please visit our TOV Center Facebook Page by clicking here and “Like It.” And then “Share It” with others too. Thanks!

Seeing TOV at Work

Many people ask me about the work Jim Myers and I are doing with the TOV Center. We have already created educational material and products geared to the Social Media experience, which is an ongoing process. We are developing an awesome new website and connecting with a variety of very talented and creative people. It's all very exciting!

The TOV Concept can be adopted and adapted to any number of projects and programs. But how does TOV work? Here are three already functioning examples. In the last three days, I've re-posted some real TOV opportunities. The first is called The Pending Coffee. This started in Naples, Italy. People pay in anticipation for the coffees and even meals for others who can't. Paying it forward. Second, a nursing home in Seattle with a childcare center inside provides activities with the seniors and the kids. It's a win-win situation. The children learn about the elderly, can listen to their stories and in turn, the seniors benefit from the kid's energy, joy and companionship. The third project was about  rooftop gardening and the rich compost comes from food waste from the local mall. The food waste helps grow food utilizing unused space and provides food for the community. 

So many people have commented about what great ideas these and others are. Well, one of the things TOV Center does is bring collectives of people together who want to put these plans into action. These are people who are committed to a set of TOV Values and participate in face to face relationships to solve specific needs for the Common Good!

I hope this sheds some light on just one important aspect of our work.

Rabbi Jeffrey Leynor

If you like this blog, please visit our TOV Center Facebook Page by clicking here and “Like It.” And then “Share It” with others. Thanks!

Can you stay focused for longer than 5 seconds?

“The average attention span at present is just 5 seconds long. Ten years ago it was 12 minutes.”

(1) How does a decreased attention span affect relationships between people, the quality of life, or the ability of people to acquire knowledge?  

(2) Does it make people more frustrated?

(3) Is it addicting people to social media?

(4) Does it make people easier to control and manipulate?

(5) What affect will this have on children as they enter adulthood?

(6) Is this simply the result of the advancing technology or by design?

What do you think? Go to our Facebook Page and let us know -- click here. 

What does the word “religion” mean?

For about fifty years now it has been clear in the academy that there is no universal way to define religion. In the West we see “religion” as a coherent system of obligatory beliefs, institutions, and rituals, centering on a supernatural God, whose    practice is essentially private and hermetically sealed off from all “secular” activities. But words in other languages that we translate as “religion” almost invariably refer to something larger, vaguer, and more encompassing. Read the complete blog at -- http://biblicalheritagecenter.blogspot.com/2015/10/what-does-word-religion-mean.html