Was Izzy Kalman a Victim of Teasing and Bullying?
People often ask me if I created Bullies2Buddies.com because I was a victim of teasing and bullying as a kid. This is a very good question. In fact, if you read the introductions to books on bullying, you will find that just about every single author had been a victim of teasing and bullying in their younger years. That is what motivated them when they grew up to help others tackle the problem. The answer to the question, though, is “No.” I was not a victim of relentless teasing and bullying by my peers. Sure, I was teased a little by my friends, but it never upset me and it was never a problem. (My friends and family still take every opportunity to make fun of me). I was beat up a few times throughout my childhood and adolescence — twice quite seriously — for being a Jew (the yarmulka, or Jewish skull cap, I wore in those days made me easily identifiable), but this was not a frequent problem. I just accepted it as part of the historical role of the Jew, the world’s favorite scapegoa
