Derech Eretz Values

Smiling students in front of Derech Eretz Banners

Honor. Courage. Kindness. Community.

דרך ארץ

For us, these four core values lie at the heart of what our school is all about. They provide the foundation for our communal Derech Eretz/דרך ארץ pledge, connecting our students and faculty to each other and to a higher purpose.

As members of the Barrack kehillah (community)/קהילה, our students and faculty pledge to uphold the highest levels of Derech Eretz/דרך ארץ in keeping with our school’s four values:

Honor/Kavod

כבוד

Being truthful and showing respect

To students and adults
To the school's building and grounds
To our tradition

Courage/Ometz Lev

אמץ לב

Showing strength of heart and courage

To act on principle
To be an upstander
To seek understanding
To develop and pursue my own academic and extracurricular interests
To resist peer pressure

Kindness/Hesed

חסד

Showing generosity of spirit

To give to others
To share what I have readily and generously
To be thoughtful, caring, and inclusive
To look out for those in need of a kind word or deed

Community/Kehillah

קהילה

Extending friendship in a spirit of inclusion

To celebrate the achievements of others
To respect and celebrate our individuality and our diversity
To represent my school in positive ways within the larger community

רבי אלעזר בן עזריה אומר, אם אין תורה, אין דרך ארץ; אם אין דרך ארץ, אין תורה

Pirkei Avot 3:17

Rabbi Elazar ben-Azaria teaches, "Without the study of Torah, there can be no Derech Eretz; without Derech Eretz, there can be no Torah.”