The Hebrew word kavod means “honor”, but it comes from the root meaning “heavy”.  This is very fitting because it is a weighty thing to be an honorable person—weighty in the sense that one has to work at it.  So, according to Jewish tradition, how can one earn honor?  One of our ancient sages says, “The one who honors Torah will be honored by others.”  And how does one honor Torah?  Live a life devoted to goodness.

The Beth Israel Kavod Society is for students to live an honorable life by committing themselves to a life of Torah (learning), Avodah (work), and G’milut Chasadim (acts of loving kindness).  By choosing to enter the Beth Israel Kavod Society you are choosing to go over and above the requirements of our high school program, and Beth Israel will honor you for that.

To be eligible for the Kavod society, you must complete 9 of the activites, with at least one in each catagory. 

Education (Torah)

__Attend High School with minimum 75% attendance (required)
__Attend 3 Teen Shabbat Services
__Attend Yom Limmud
__Attend an Adult Ed Program or Saturday Torah Study
__Attend a Jewish Summer program
__Read from the Torah sometime other than your B’nai Mitzvah
__Go to a Jewish speaker,Teen Screen, or book fair, etc
__Other__________

Commitment (Avodah)

__Be a member of the Youth Choir
__Attend 3 BITY events
__Attend a NFTY events
__Be a member of a Jewish Youth Board (BITY, HandsUp, JCC)
__Be a Madrich/Madricha
__Attend 2 Teen Social Action Council meetings or one event
__Other_________

Service (Gimilut Hasadim)

__Give 12 hours of community service (required)
__Volunteer at Purim Carnival
__Attend MLK Weekend Interfaith Service Day
__Volunteer at the Preschool Camp
__Volunteer at Super Sunday
__Chaperone a J2 event
__Be a captain at Maccabiah
__Other__________

2013 Kavod Society Recipients

Benjamin Brogadir
Samuel Brogadir
Jaclyn Estrin
Hannah Fogg
Jeffrey Fox
Jerrilyn Goldberg
Ellen Horowitz
Michelle Jacobson
Samantha Levine
Ilana Levy
Sarah Levy
Zoe Pianko
Harrison Reines
Lucy Siegel
Helen Silverstein
Celia Tedde
Emma Voit

2012 Kavod Society Recipients

Benjamin Brogadir
Samuel Brogadir
Morgan Couch
Jeffrey Fox
Ellen Horowitz
Samantha Levine
Isaac Mayer
Lucy Siegel
Celia Tedde
Emma Voit