What People with Disabilities (and Their Families) Wish Their Rabbis Knew
As a Jewish professional dedicated to issues of disability inclusion and awareness, I’m all about solutions. When I read this article, I wanted to yell, “This is exactly the type of piece that must be required reading in our seminaries!”
Letter from Jerusalem: Trump, Netanyahu, and the Fight for Tolerance
As we Israelis wait on outcomes from today’s meeting between Netanyahu and Trump, we cannot let growing incitement and discrimination remain the new normal in Israel.
10 Vital Jewish Resources on Disability Awareness and Inclusion
Halfway through Jewish Disability Awareness and Inclusion Month, here are some of the many stories, ideas, and resources that have resulted from this important awareness effort.
What I Learned From Visiting With Cuba’s Jews
Recently, I traveled to Cuba on a Jewish mission. Although I’d prepped, I was unprepared for how the trip would affect my self-perception as a Jew.
Apply for a Belin Award to Showcase Your Audacious Hospitality
Audacious Hospitality, a pillar of the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ), is based on the belief that when we welcome and incorporate fully the diversity that is a reality of modern Jewish life, we create a stronger, more vibrant Jewish community. Indeed, congregations of all sizes throughout the URJ promote audacious hospitality with creative, original, and outstanding initiatives that welcome seekers and engage prospective and current members.
If this sounds like your congregation, apply for a Belin Award!
Yasher Koach to the Winners of NFTY's Wendy Blickstein Memorial D’var Torah Competition!
Toward Full Inclusion of People With Disabilities in Jewish Life
On February 2, hundreds of us gathered at the seventh annual Jewish Disability Advocacy Day (JDAD), co-sponsored by the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, Jewish Federations of North America, and dozens of other partners across the country. JDAD offered a unique opportunity for all Jews to unite around this issue, which affects communities across the denominational spectrum. It also helped kick off Jewish Disability Awareness and Inclusion Month (JDAIM), an annual community-wide initiative that seeks to raise awareness and support for including people with disabilities in all facets of Jewish life.
Shifts in Policy in the Executive Branch Impact Court Cases on Trans Inclusion
On February 10, the Trump administration rescinded the government’s objections to a 2016 injun
How the Boston Area is Better Serving All Jewish Students with Disabilities
As our students became b’nei mitzvah, and read, spoke, or used the computer to enhance their communication, the community saw how much effort they had put into learning Judaism; the entire community was reminded of its own obligation and joy in educating all of the next generation.
His Memory is a Blessing: The Loss of My Dog, Teddy
The grief I have experienced since my 11-year-old cocker spaniel, Teddy, died is real, and some days my heart feels more broken than others.