Making the World a Better Place With Compassion –Judges Needed

Whether you have a lot of it or barely any at all, compassion is one key to happiness that CAN be heightened and even taught.  According to Mayor Greg Fischer, Louisville, Kentucky, “Research shows that compassion spurs economic development, academic achievement, and community building.”

So what exactly is compassion and what does it mean to you?  Toms River dentist Dr. Ron Rotem wants to know. Dr. Rotem has started Compassionate Toms River, an initiative of the Charter for Compassion, which is striving to activate the Golden Rule around the world.

For the first project of Compassionate Toms River, Dr. Rotem is inviting all area students, grades 2-8, to submit paintings and drawings that express what compassion means to them.  Comcast Spotlight, the first partner of Compassionate Toms River, has donated more than 500 canvas art boards (9×12) to kick off this project.

Beginning Tuesday, February 10, teachers may pick up the art boards for their class at Dr. Rotem’s office, Rotem Dental Care, 355 Lakehurst Road, Toms River, so that students may illustrate what compassion means to them. The project will end Thursday, April 16, 2015. The teacher whose student or class is best judged to have portrayed compassion, will receive $1000.00 to use for educational purposes.

The mission of Compassionate Toms River is to inspire the growth and development of a culture of compassion in Toms River and the surrounding areas through advocacy, awareness and action.

Compassionate Toms River is a cooperative effort to restore not only compassionate thinking; but, more importantly, compassionate action, which many feel is the center of religious, moral and political life.

To become a judge; to donate art boards or time; and for questions about the Compassionate Toms River program, contact Dr. Rotem at 732-341-8500 or visit CompassionateTomsRiver.org.