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lies information, referral and pro-
the class discussions that left the
I
grams.
But parents wanted more
Youngworths concerned.
help to educate their children.
Finally, they decided that, no mat-
With an endowment from Merle
ter what, they must find a perma-
and Shirley Harris, JARC had estab-
nent place for Blimie at Beth Jacob.
lished a children and family divi-
"Some teachers, administrators
Social worker Miriam Hojda
I
and students were very accepting
I
was
hired
to provide services for
of Blimie," Helen Youngworth
I the new division, and specifically to
recalls. "But we also heard, 'How
coordinate a new pilot program
could a teacher work with her?'
I, that became the School Inclusion
and, 'It would be too much work
Program.
for the teachers.'"
In its first year, the program
The school allowed Blimie to take
focused
on supplying information,
a sewing class and join the choir,
referral, educational programming,
but otherwise she pretty much sat

Where To Place Blimie?
In spite of the challenges in raising a
child with special needs, parents
Helen and Izzy Youngworth say it did
not occur to them that Blimie did not
have a right to a Jewish education.
Already raising a son, Yudi, who is
autistic, Helen was able to recognize
quickly that Blimie, the youngest of
their four children, was not develop-
ing normally. Blimie walked and
talked later than most do. She was
slow, requiring more time to process
information.
Her parents came to realize that
Blimie would have certain limita-
tions. For the most part, she could
participate in many aspects of
learning and school life; she just
needed more time. Ask a question,
for example, and she'll pause for a
few moments to formulate her
answer.
The Youngworths moved Blimie
back and forth between Beth Jacob
School for Girls, then public school,
then Beth Jacob, then another pub-
lic school. No matter the school, it
was a challenge for their daughter.
The Jewish day schools were
befuddled because they did not
have a system in place to handle
Blimie works at the Beth Jacob preschool, where she loves making art pro-
students with special needs. "I was
jects with the children.
pushing for so many years, and it
was very hard," Helen Youngworth
respite care and person-centered
says. "I always felt like I was beg-
alone and worked with her tutor.
programs — working directly with
With no other option, the Young-
; ging."
families to determine their needs.
While the public schools she
I worths "made peace" with what
"We really wanted to change the
attended had the necessary pro-
they had. But they remained trou-
process
of telling consumers what
grams for children with special
t bled by the fact that Blimie
the professionals identified as best
needs, Blimie felt isolated there.
I remained "virtually invisible" among
for them and start identifying what
There were few Jews in her classes,
the student body.
the consumers themselves said was
and none of them were observant,
Inclusion
best for them," Hojda says. Over-
School
as are Blimie and her family.
Keshet, a Jewish support group
whelmingly, she heard parents say
School holidays came at Christ-
formed in 1990, was one of the
that they wanted their children to [D I
mas and Easter, not Passover and
few places where the Youngworths
included in the Jewish community,
Shavuot. Blimie didn't have the
could
find
a
sympathetic
heart.
Like
not segregated. – Our children ha
opportunity to get to know the
themselves, these Reform, Conserva-
become isolated, and we have
neighborhood girls, most of them
tive
and
Orthodox
Jews
were
also
become very isolated' — We
attending Beth Jacob.
parents of children with special
heard this again and again," she
In upper-elementary school, Blimie
needs.
says.
was required to attend a sex-educa-
For a long time, Keshet (now
It was a troubling situation, Hold
tion course. It wasn't the topic itself,
incorporated
into
JARC)
gave
fami-
but the extremely explicit nature of