Sokol Hebrew High School
Jewish Ethics
Avi Markowitz
Spring 5768


Judaism is unique in being the creation of a people that was the first to dedicate itself to the reverence of what we generally speak of as a good life. Judaism is not only a religion, but also the living historical civilization of the Jewish people and is the product of a new and original emphasis on the place of the ethical in human life.

The goal of this course is to have students become familiar with some of the basic guiding principles of Judaism. This endeavor is intended to transform the manner in which students view themselves and the changing communities in which they find themselves. The study of Jewish ethics is both a serious intellectual endeavor and an emotional encounter with the world, with our people and with us as individuals.

The curriculum for this class will include, but not be limited to the following topics that we encounter in everyday life: Family and Friends; Work Ethics and Money; Study; Medical Ethics; Personal and Communal Dilemmas. Many of the ethical questions that we will be asking in this class are actually questions that the Rabbis have been asking for over 2000 years and are still relevant today. Students will be fascinated to find that our sources have withstood the pressures of time and circumstances.

This class will use several text sources, including Pirket Avot, The Ethics of the Fathers. Biblical texts will include Deut. 30:19, I Samuel 8:17, and Proverbs: 1:10-19; 4:14-19; 3:28; 6:6-11; 31:10. Along with Modern Responsa literature, we will be utilizing the following modern texts: Rabbi Joseph Telushkin, Jewish Wisdom; Rabbi Joseph Telushkin, The Book of Jewish Values; Nachum Amsel, The Jewish Encyclopedia of Moral and Ethical Issues; Stephen Rittner, Jewish Ethics for the 21st Century; along with works by Dennis Prager and Rabbi Harold Kushner.

To learn more about this class, parents can ask about the ideas that your children find to be meaningful in their lives. You might want to raise issues that you have dealt with in your own lives. Students are welcome to raise topics in class that have come from your discussions at home. Additional topics will undoubtedly come from the students, in the context of our discussions.

For students to maximize their learning, regular attendance is a must. Students should display the proper attitude and decorum for text study and respect for each other at all times. Students are expected to actively participate in class discussions.