Rabbis urge teaching of empathy to counteract religious hate

NEW YORK — At a time when anti-Semitic incidents are on the rise worldwide, schools should take steps to teach empathy as an antidote to racism and religious hatred, several rabbis attending an international conference said.

The religious leaders praised a pilot project in El Paso, Texas, that requires students to pause each day to consider others. Children are given a small box shaped like Noah’s Ark. They collect money in it daily and give it to charities chosen by their classes.