Opinion

Business &
Professional

Embrace Special Needs

On Board

and to take active roles in supporting
the needs of the disabled. We cannot
afford to ignore the issue of special needs
ince the late 1980s, the Jewish
because it is expensive or complex. It is
conversation — and Jewish
critical to the future of our community
funding — has orbited around
the goal of Jewish continuity. Whether the and deserves to be prioritized.
If Jews with disabilities are turned
cause is Jewish peoplehood, intermar-
away from Jewish schools, community
riage, education or even Israel, ensuring
centers and synagogues, that
our Jewish continuity inevita-
means the organized Jewish
bly grounds the discussion.
community is turning away an
But one issue critical to con-
integral part of our commu-
tinuity has been missing from
nity — our children, siblings,
the conversation for far too
parents, friends, neighbors and
long: supporting our disabled
colleagues.
and special needs populations.
But by moving the bar in
With 14 percent of children
this one area, and supporting
in North America having spe-
programs that enable Jews with
cial needs and an even larger
Jay
disabilities to participate in all
percentage of people (young
Ruderman
facets of Jewish life, we can cre-
and old) living with a dis-
Special
ate opportunities for hundreds
ability, hundreds of thousands
to the
of thousands of people living
of Jews in North America
Jewish News
with special needs to lead
and around the world must
meaningful and vibrant Jewish
forego Jewish experiences in
lives. I can't think of a more
order to participate in secular
meaningful way to support continuity.
programs — schools, camps, vocational
We've seen individual examples of pro-
services and more — that meet basic
grams that are making a real difference
developmental needs.
Even in major Jewish markets, families across the United States and internation-
with disabled children struggle to engage ally:
• San Francisco's Bureau of Jewish
in Jewish life. This summer, international
Education has helped preschools,
media reported on the Samuels family
synagogues, JCCs and day schools come
of New York, who were forced to choose
between providing a Jewish education for together with central agencies to ensure
that Jewish learning is available to every
their daughter Caily, who was born with
student.
Down syndrome, and a secular program
•With support from the UJA
that would accommodate her special cir-
Federation of New York, the
cumstances.
"Reelabilities" film festival has been able
For a people who value fairness, inclu-
sivity and justice, it's unacceptable that so to raise awareness and promote apprecia-
tion for those with a range of disabilities.
many of our own are turned away in this
• In Michigan, the Friendship Cirde
manner. We need to tackle Jewish conti-
nuity head-on by ensuring that Jews with provides assistance and support to the
families of children with special needs.
special needs have a place to live, learn
• Gateways: Access to Jewish Education
and work within our communities.
enables
more than 500 special-needs
As we mark the 20th anniversary of
children
in Boston to attend local Jewish
the Americans with Disabilities Act, I am
day
schools,
where teachers and adminis-
issuing a challenge to the Jewish com-
trators
are
now
trained to work with the
munity to embrace special needs as a
children.
core part of the continuity conversation,

Boston/JTA

S

• Yachad provides Jewish programming
and experiences in educational, recre-
ational and social settings throughout
the United States and Canada.
•And in Israel, Israel Unlimited, a
partnership of the American Jewish
Joint Distribution Committee, the Israeli
government and the Ruderman Family
Foundation is engaged in integrating
people with disabilities in the commu-
nity.
These are all examples of pacesetting
organizations making great strides on
this issue. However, there are no mecha-
nisms —particularly in the funding
community — for sharing information
and pursuing collaborative endeavors
that perpetuate these regional programs.
When and where it exists, support for
disabled populations happens in silos,
across regions, age groups, and a great
variance of physical and cognitive dis-
orders.
In order to effectively support the
needs of our disabled populations, we
must break down these barriers, so that
shared learning and collaboration can
benefit all.
Last week, an international group of
Jewish funders and nonprofit leaders
convened in New York City to examine
the opportunity gap that exists for dis-
abled Jews and to inspire collaboration
in which private fenders, federations
and professionals can actively work
together to build a more inclusive com-
munity.
The Ruderman Jewish Special Needs
Funding Conference is an important
step on the path toward building a more
indusive future; but it will require a
greater communal response to make that
goal a reality. We must commit to making
"special needs" a priority topic within the
larger continuity conversation and take
action to bring all people with disabilities
back into the folds of Jewish life. ❑

Jay Ruderman is president of the
Ruderman Family Foundation.

Books from page 33

We had ordered the books, I thought,
for reasons that were primarily intellec-
tual — to show the students how other
Jews prayed. I hoped, too, that they
might deepen their connection to God
by finding their own favorite siddur. But
the Braille siddur had done more; it had
inspired empathy, a real sense of won-
der about what it would feel like to be

someone else. And this, it seems to me,
is the real reason we pray as a commu-
nity— to think beyond your own needs
and wants, to feel connected to others.
Individuals, too, can praise God for
their life's blessings and perhaps ask for
a few more — but communal prayer is
powerful precisely because it helps us
to feel connected. The Braille siddur

helped this student feel connected to
other Jews in a new, unimagined way.
Next time you find yourself in our
Rudolph-Shuman Chapel, I hope you
will take a look!

❑

Rabbi Berger is rabbi in residence at Hillel

Day School of Metropolitan Detroit in

Farmington Hills.

Chapel hires
new director.

0

tto Benjamin Dube, a Jewish
funeral director with more
than 30 years' experience, has
joined Hebrew Memorial Chapel in Oak
Park as managing funeral director.
"We are delighted
to have Otto join us:'
said Rabbi Boruch
E. Levin, the chapel's
executive director.
"Otto has an out-
standing reputation
in the Detroit Jewish
community; and we
Otto Dube
know that given his
professional experience and talents,
he will be a tremendous asset to our
organization:"
Hebrew Memorial Chapel, the only
nonprofit funeral home in the area,
has served Reform, Conservative,
Orthodox and unaffiliated Jewish
families since 1916.
Dube replaces Robert H. Bodzin,
who is on medical leave after more
than 20 years at Hebrew Memorial
Chapel. During his career at Hebrew
Memorial Chapel, Bodzin wrote Why
is Everyone Crying?, a book designed
to help children and parents cope with
death and dying.
"Bob made significant contributions
as a loyal employee while at Hebrew
Memorial Chapel:' said Rabbi Levin.
"Bob is a man of integrity and he is
much-valued friend. We are very grate-
ful for the years he was with us and
thank him for his service. We wish him
and his family the best"
Before joining Hebrew Memorial
Chapel, Dube served as a funeral
director at the Ira Kaufman Chapel in
Southfield.
Dube has been a past board mem-
ber of many organizations. He served
as a youth adviser for the BBYO and
is a member of Congregation Shaarey
Zedek in Southfield, Temple Beth El in
Bloomfield Township and Adat Shalom
Synagogue in Farmington Hills.
He serves the Jewish Community
Relations Council of Metropolitan
Detroit, the Jewish War Veterans
Auxiliary and the David Horodoker
Organization. He is a volunteer for
National Council of Jewish Women's
Meals on Wheels.
Dube and his wife, Shelley, live in
Farmington Hills. They have four chil-
dren.

❑

34

November 25 • 2010

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