Benjibopper

"So committed were many Colombans to the spirit of giving that they sometimes volunteered for group-sponsored causes that were at odds with their private views. The Italian American men who helped repair the Jewish temple, for example, could be heard among themselves mouthing anti-Semitic slurs. Giving to the community had a life of its own and Colombans were not to let their personal prejudices get in the way."

--Susan Eckstein, in 'Community as Gift-Giving: Collectivistic Roots of Volunteerism', 2001

Labels: quotations