Importance of Kavod

Keeping Connected – March 2025

The Importance of Kavod

Hello Congregation Shalom members! I am hopefully in Florida when you read this article. We have a very important meeting with a well-known mouse. First, I want to thank you for supporting our endeavor to modernize the synagogue’s website and office systems. I think this will make a big difference for us and help us to potentially retain and grow our membership. Eileen, Cory, and Stephen, thank you for your presentation. Joanna and Stacie thank you for assisting at the special meeting. Rabbi Perry, thank you also for your support! As this project rolls out, we will be sure to communicate to you all how things are progressing.

Lastly, I thought it might be interesting to talk about the word kavod which is the Hebrew word meaning respect. Kavod is a very important value in Judaism. We often talk a lot about in religious school with the students in hopes to instill this in them. Sometimes, I think, when people have differences of opinion because they feel so strongly about their view or opinion this value gets forgotten about. In an article from the site Myjewishlearning.com Rabbi Heidi Hoover writes:

“Judaism places high value on the dignity of each person. In Genesis 1:27 we are told that humanity was made in the image of God—b’tzelem Elohim. This teaching urges us to recognize every person’s equal value and treat each other with dignity.”

Our great rabbi Maimonides wrote that “The Sages say, ‘One who shames (lit., ‘makes white’) the face of his fellow… has no share in the World to Come’ (Pirkei Avot 3:15). Therefore, one must be careful in this matter—that he not embarrass his fellow publicly, whether a small or great [person].” [i]

I hope as a congregation, we can reflect on the importance of kavod in our lives and in the lives of others.

[i] https://www.myjewishlearning.com/2014/08/26/treat-every-person-with-dignity/