The Washington DC Special Needs and Disabilities Services Department of the Partnership for Jewish Life and Learning works to help increase the level of services and opportunities in our Jewish community for individuals with special needs. Our goal is to help ensure that every member of the Jewish community, children and adults alike, have access to the range of social, educational and religious opportunities that the Washington area has to offer.
Opening the Gates of Torah: Including People with Disabilities in the Jewish Community
On December 3, 2006, 250 people attended our 4th annual conference, focused on raising the level of awareness in our synagogues, Jewish communal institutions, schools and youth groups about inclusion. Rabbi Bradley Artson, Dean of the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies and Vice President of the University of Judaism, delivered the keynote address and led two sessions at the conference. Synagogue professional staff and lay leaders as well as community professionals, people with disabilities and parents of individuals with disabilities attended the conference. This conference continues to be a focal point of various initiatives that our agency is involved in, related to synagogue inclusion.
Jewish Disability Awareness Month
For the fifth year, synagogues in our community participated in Jewish Disability Awareness Month by having speakers at Shabbat services on related topics and/or planning programming for adult study or students in the religious school. The Jewish Disability Awareness Month Resource Packet was revised and is available for purchase to other communities for $25.
Synagogue Inclusion Committees
Close to a dozen congregations have started inclusion committees, dedicating to meeting the needs of people with disabilities within their own congregation. A network of chairpeople of these committees get together 4 times a year to network, share ideas and problem solve together. This year, the network put together a Synagogue Inclusion Questionnaire that was sent to area congregations. Our agency will compile the results and use the information to direct people in the community to congregations that have accommodations in place that meet their special needs.
S.N.A.P.
The Special Needs Assistance Program was started this past year, modeled after similar programs in Boston and Philadelphia. A group of typical teens spent four days during the end of the summer learning about Jewish special education and disability awareness. The 17 teens are working this year as assistants to students with special needs in congregational school classrooms and as buddies to kids with disabilities in youth groups. The group of teens continues to meet with our staff on a regular basis throughout the year to continue their learning. There has been a good deal of interest in this program and we are in the process of planning to train a 2nd group of teens this coming summer.
Chaverim Connection
Our agency started the Chaverim Connection program this year which is modeled on the Friendship Circle program. Typical teens and college students are recruited and matched 1 - 1 or 2 - 1 with kids and young adults with disabilities in the community. The "matches" meet twice a month in the home of the individual with the disability.
Youth Director Training
Several trainings were held during this year with a group of youth directors in the community to talk about inclusion and disability awareness. At this point in time, very few children and teens with disabilities participate in area youth groups. The purpose behind this training is to begin to change this and to enable youth directors to be motivated and educated to reach out to individuals with disabilities.
Differentiated Training Initiative
A group of day school teaches met 6 times this year with Dr. Scott Goldberg, a professor from the Azrieli Graduate School of Education at Yeshiva University. The year long training initiative was composed of seminar training, classroom observations, individual feedback sessions, meetings with day school administrators and action research projects that each teacher worked on to help them differentiate the instruction in their classroom.
Day School Learning Specialist Network
Learning specialists from area day schools meet together on a regular basis to share ideas, network and plan professional development initiatives together.
Special Needs and Disability Services Lay Committee
A council of parents, professionals and individuals with disabilities meet on a regular basis to share ideas, help shape the direction of the special needs and disability services department and advocate for the needs of individuals with disabilities in the Jewish community.
Sh'lom Kitah Program
Learning specialists which are hired and paid by our agency, work with congregational schools throughout the school year, providing on-site observations, teacher training and guidance in accommodations, modifications and behavior management in 10 congregational schools in the area.
Lenore Layman
Director, Special Needs and Disability Services
Partnership for Jewish Life and Learning
12230 Wilkins Avenue
Rockville, MD 20852
240-283-6233
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