The Kitah Vav Top Ten

Many of our discussions in Kitah Vav center around the moral qualities and Jewish values which are thought to be the essence of all human relationships. These middot are considered essential for building a successful classroom community, and more importantly, nurturing the souls of our Kitah Vav students. These life lessons help to mold our students into kind and caring adolescents and responsible and observant adults. In our weekly discussion, students were asked to personally rank the following moral qualities in order of importance:

Shalom - Peace
Kavod - Respect and Honor
Bikur Cholim - Caring for the sick
Derech Eretz - Doing what is right
Tikkun Olam - Repairing the World
Hachnasat Orchim - Welcoming Guests
Bal Tash'heet - Caring for the environment
Gemilut Chasadim - Acts of Loving Kindness
Talmud Torah - Studying as a lifetime commitment
K'lal Israel - All Jews are responsible for each other
Tzedakkah - Sharing with others as an ongoing responsibility
Mitzvot - Doing things to value and respect Jewish traditions
Tzar Ba'alei Chaim - Caring for animals and kindness to animals

After the rankings, we tried to come up with a group consensus, and needless to say, it wasn't possible to all agree, but the top five across the classroom were Shalom, K'lal Israel, Mitzvot, Tikkun Olam, and Tzedakkah.

Take some time and discuss the rankings with your families. Which were your top five?