Tuesday Morning Torah – February 12, 2013
For the past few weeks, my Wednesday afternoon Lunch N’Learn class has been exploring Jewish attitudes towards people with disabilities and discussing the importance of creating Jewish communities that strive to be more inclusive and sensitive to the physical and emotional needs of these individuals. Keeping in mind that all human beings are made betzelem elohim, in God’s image, and reminding ourselves of our obligation to ensure that all of God’s creatures are valued and cared for, we have discussed questions such as:
1. How might we make our sanctuary and synagogue more accessible to those with disabilities.
2. What are additional ways that our religious school can continue to support students with special needs
3. In general, how might our synagogue and our local Jewish community do more to reach out and support families and individuals with disabilities?
It is interesting that we have been having this conversation during Jewish Disabilities Awareness Month. And it is for that reason that I would like to invite all of you to consider your own sensitivity to this issue. How are you supportive of individuals with disabilities on a daily basis? If you have a disability, or have a family member with a disability, where have you felt the Jewish community has been supportive and where do you think we could improve? When it comes to Torat El, what is the most important thing that you think we could do to be more inclusive to community members with disabilities?
1. To read some wonderful articles about the supporting individuals with disabilities in the Jeiwsh community, click here.
2. To learn more about Matan, an organization that advocates for students with special needs in the Jewish community , click here.
3. To find out more about what the Jewish community around the county is doing for Jewish Disability Awareness Month, click here:
4. For a wonderful list of reading and resources put together by the Conservative Movement, click here.
5. And to read an inspiring article written from the perspective of an autistic teenage member of the Jewish community, click here.
