VA L U E O F P E O P L E

Time needed 30 minutesAge range Any teenBackground of teen Any background can participate in this club, no previous knowledge neededSet up Groups of 5 or so

Goals:JSUers will consider that all human beings’ importance is based not on what they do but on who they are.

Relevance:How do we value people? Do we value people based on what they do? Are some people more important or valuable than others? In this transitional stage, when teens are making key decision about their careers and plans for the future, it is a good opportunity to talk about what people do and how that impacts our opinions and perceptions of them.

Active Learning:The activity is designed to create group discussion. If you have time you can compare groups decisions and ideas. The video can be used or not depending on your group dynamic.

Give out cards of different professions- don’t be too specific- just ask the teens to put them in order and justify their placement. Ultimately you are asking them who is the most valued or important but the idea is to let them figure out what you are asking.

Supplies needed:1. The video2. A few sets of the cards

Step by step planning:Time Facilitator Activity Teen activity10 mins Watch the video10 mins Give out the cards and allow groups to discuss Group card activity10 mins Ask groups to compare with each other using

facilitation questionsGroup discussion

5 mins Wrap up message

Facilitation Questions:1. How much are we judged on our job and position in life?2. How much value should we put on our job and positions?

3. How much time and effort should we be exerting on doing rather than being i.e what is more important, the job we do or the people we are?

Wrap up message and Torah thoughtTalmud Bavli Sanhedrin 37a תלמוד בבלי סנהדרין לז אTherefore, man was created alone to teachthat destroying one life is tantamount to destroying an entire world; and sustaining one life is tantamount to sustaining an entire world.Therefore, every individual is obligated to say,“The world was created for my sake.”

לפיכך נברא אדם יחידי, ללמדך שכל המאבדנפש

מעלה עליו הכתוב כאילו איבד עולם… אחת מלא

מעלה עליו הכתוב… וכל המקיים נפש אחת כאילו

... לפיכך כל אחד ואחד חייב. קיים עולם מלאלומר,

.”בשבילי נברא העולם“

Rabbi Avi Fertig, Bridging the Gap, p. 132 – Finding one’s role requires living according to one’s internal truth and not for what society says.Man’s essence, the true “I,” is within – it is the inner world with which we are primarily concerned. Individuality and originality must be nurtured internally. The modern misconception is that our individuality must be presented externally, displayed for others to see. Otherwise, goes the misconception, by not expressing our individuality to others, we are stunting ourselves. The culture in which we find ourselves lives life on the outside. Torah, however, demands that we build our inner worlds – that we nurture our individuality within – for that is the essence of man.