A Tel Aviv-based organization last Friday hosted the fifth annual “Be Nice” day in Israel, urging Israelis across the country to make a concerted effort to be friendly to strangers they would normally ignore.
Known in English as the Society for a Friendlier World (SFW), the group was quoted by Israel National News as encouraging Israelis to “surprise yourselves and those around you by relating to someone you are not generally accustomed to relating to. This can be done by saying Shalom [Hello], smiling, showing interest, engaging in a short conversation, giving a flower or a cup of cold water, or offering a ride.”
The largest organized event of the day saw dozens of Israelis drive together to the rocket-battered southern town of Sderot to do their weekend shopping and show solidarity with the embattled residents there.