What is it about a selfless act of kindness that makes it so special? Does kindness affect just the person on the receiving end, or also the person giving it? And how? And perhaps most importantly, what gets in the way of kindness and what can be done to overcome the obstacles?

Kindness is the latest installment of Jewish Food for Thought, a series of animated shorts examining universal themes present in Jewish texts and liturgy. The series is created by Hanan Harchol, a New York-based film and video artist, and includes study guides authored by Rabbi Leora Kaye.

A recent article in The Washington Post also addresses kindness, with a series of suggestions on teaching and discussing the issue with children. Read it here.