Noah & Dean-Bagels & Beans!
Doing Business Ethically
Noah Alper, founder of Bread & Circus (now Whole Foods), as well as Noah’s Bagels in California, and Dean Cycon, local founder of Dean’s Beans will discuss ethical business practices. Noah will read from his new book Business Mensch: Timeless Wisdom for Today’s Entrepreneur. Here’s an opportunity to mix traditional business concepts with the idea of tikkun olam (repairing the world), organic and kosher, observing the Sabbath, treating employees respectfully, and chutzpa!
This event will take place on Thursday, September 10, 2009 at 7:00 PM in the social hall at Congregation B’nai Israel, 253 Prospect Street, Northampton, MA. It is sponsored by the Schoen Books of South Deerfield.
Noah says: Adhering to Jewish values in business should lead only to doing the right thing: serving the community, treating employees and customers with fairness and respect, dealing honestly and openly and helping those in need.
Why does this system sometimes fail-and recently in such a dramatic and public ways?
Living ethically must be done proactively. For instance, every time a decision comes up that may in any remote way be questionable, we must immediately “observe” ourselves as if being judged in a court of law. Before an action is undertaken, we must ask – is this the right thing to do? Could there be ramifications that result in my action being misinterpreted by others and therefore creating unwanted consequences?
Dean says: I wanted to prove that business can be a meaningful vehicle for progressive, values-based social change and still be profitable. Also that Dean’s Beans is a means for me to manifest my core Jewish beliefs in tikkun olam and the path of mitzvot.
Books available for sale at the reading:
Noah’s book Business Mensch: Timeless Wisdom for Today’s Entrepreneur www.businessmensch.net
Dean’s book Javatrekker: Dispatches from the World of Fair Trade Coffee www.deansbeans.com
Contact: Ken Schoen, Schoen Books, purveyors of fine scholarly Judaica. ken@schoenbooks.com ; www.schoenbooks.com
Old Firehouse, 7 Sugarloaf St. SouthDeerfield, MA01373 (413) 665-0066