Understanding Tzedek

One of our Menschlichkeit Values at The Davis Academy is "Tzedek." Meaning "justice" and/or "righteousness" this value is meant to help give our community language for reflecting on and acting upon the gap that we find between the way the world is and the way we think the world should be. In this journal entry, 5th grader, Hannah Herman, articulately conveys a deep understanding of Tzedek and explains how her Davis journey has helped her find a feeling of empowerment in this vital area. 

Journal #15

            Last Thursday we went to Camp Jenny, and it was an experience that I will never forget. I think that Camp Jenny is doing an amazing thing for children who are less fortunate. I enjoyed getting to see everything that this camp offers, and how lucky the people who go there get treated. Normally, these kids would not be able to go to summer camp, but with the help of Camp Jenny, and Camp Coleman for hosting them, they are able to attend sleep away camp. At Davis, we learn about how everyone should be treated equally, and no one should be left out on the streets. We are so fortunate that we can buy anything that we need, but the children who go to Camp Jenny aren't. Our purpose at Camp Jenny is to volunteer and donate to give these children a great summer camp experience. Our tzedakah project is so important because it gives children who don't have much some joy and happiness. Going there influenced me because people don't realize how much they have, until they see how little someone else has. This field trip has prepared us for the middle school, and life. Everything that we have done this year has shaped and molded us into smart, considerate, compassionate children, and when we walk out of those doors for the last time, we will walk out changed.