Faith and Spirituality

Six years ago, I became visually impaired. My eyes began to bleed, and I was told the damage was permanent and there was a chance that I could go completely blind. As a Rabbi, reading is crucial to my job. There was a solution in English braille, which I started to learn. As those studies continued, I found that Hebrew braille also existed and that became my new topic of study.

Rabbis tend to ask questions. I wondered if a Hebrew braille Torah scroll existed. Although there were braille Torah books, I could not find a Sefer Torah – the scroll used for congregational readings. There were none in the United States; there were none in Europe; there were none in Israel. [continue reading…]

Friendship Circle MD D.C. aims to promote an inclusive Jewish community through lasting relationships. The nonprofit’s mission is “to provide every child with special needs in Montgomery County and D.C. the friendship, inclusion, and emotional support that they deserve,” and “to inspire and enrich our network of volunteers with the personal growth and fulfillment derived from selfless giving.”

The organization runs recreational, social, and educational programming in the greater Washington area, providing individuals with and without disabilities the opportunity to build friendships. Friends at Home, one of the nonprofit’s weekly programs, pairs high school volunteers with children with disabilities for weekly home visits. Torah Circle, a biweekly program, is a two-hour program where participants and teen buddies bond through Jewish-themed activities. Additionally, the nonprofit hosts Birthday Club monthly which brings friends together for fun parties to celebrate birthdays. [continue reading…]

The disruptive effects of the global COVID-19 pandemic have reached almost every aspect of our lives. These include one of the most growing uses of technology – the one aimed at helping vast and diverse populations. Assistive technology, which, frankly, we may all need some day, is at the heart of 8200 Impact’s work. We actually prefer to call it Ability Creation Technology (ACT).

Who are we?

8200 IMPACT is the first acceleration program and community for Israeli impact-tech start-ups, that aim to tackle significant social or environmental challenges through advanced technology, for the benefit of society and economy both locally and globally.

This program, founded in 2013, was launched in order to harness the human capital of the 8200 elite IDF signal intelligence and cybersecurity unit alumni for the greater good. Therefore, any impact entrepreneur in the stage of seed or pre-seed funding can apply to the program, regardless of their military and social backgrounds.

Following a rigorous recruitment process, 10-12 start-ups are selected with the help of our sponsoring partners. The program’s cycle consists of three main impact-tech tracks: Accessibility, Health and Energy andEnvironment. The selected start-ups take part in a 5-month acceleration program filled with workshops and meetings with successful entrepreneurs, top-tier professionals and prominent investors. In addition, as a non-profit program, we do not take equity nor claim ownership of our ventures’ Intellectual Property. [continue reading…]

The most joyous part of celebrating the eight nights of Hanukkah for me each year is reflecting on fond memories. I will forever and always cherish singing with the family and playing with the dreidel. I also cherish the many lessons that I learned from these observances. [continue reading…]

Jacki Edry

I have a dream I would like to share with you. On second thought, it’s not actually a dream. It’s a vision that stems from a deep longing. I am a neurodivergent individual, a survivor of complex brain surgery. I am also a parent of children with neurodiversity – including autism, ADHD, auditory and sensory processing disorders, dyslexia, Irlen syndrome, and more.

Our family has spent many years struggling with non-inclusive or semi-inclusive educational settings and communities. It has been challenging. Despite this, I have tremendous faith that society can become more inclusive and welcoming through awareness and understanding. [continue reading…]

Survey of 172 Jews in the D.C. community shows progress, while identifying areas in need of continued improvement

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Washington, D.C., January 7 – In a recently released major survey of 2,321 Jewish individuals nationwide, RespectAbility, a nonprofit organization that fights stigmas and advances opportunities so people with disabilities can participate fully in all aspects of community, in partnership with Jewish Federation of Greater Washington, surveyed 172 members of the D.C. Jewish community. This allowed a deep look into disability inclusion in D.C., as well as a strong and meaningful comparison to the national numbers. Of the 172 respondents, 143 either personally have a disability or have a close disability connection. The survey demonstrates that Jewish communal organizations are making strong progress toward building a more inclusive community for people with physical, sensory, mental health and other disabilities.

The data showed that 68 percent of D.C. area Jewish respondents felt the Jewish community was “better” at “including people with disabilities” compared to five years ago. Only one percent felt that the community was doing “somewhat worse.”

“More and more Jewish institutions now understand that we are a stronger community when we are welcoming, diverse, and respect one another,” said RespectAbility VP Matan Koch. “The numbers in the D.C. area show the results of strong leadership, values and practices in the Jewish community.” [continue reading…]

Survey of 192 Jews in the Houston community shows progress, while identifying areas in need of continued improvement

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Houston, TX, Dec. 23 – In a recently released major survey of 2,321 Jewish individuals nationwide, RespectAbility, a nonprofit organization that fights stigmas and advances opportunities so people with disabilities can participate fully in all aspects of community, in partnership with JFS Houston, surveyed 192 members of the Houston Jewish community. This allowed a deep look into disability inclusion in Houston, as well as a strong and meaningful comparison to the national numbers. Of the 192 respondents, 160 either personally have a disability or have a close disability connection. The survey demonstrates that Jewish communal organizations are making strong progress toward building a more inclusive community for people with physical, sensory, mental health and other disabilities.

The data showed that 67 percent of Houston Jewish respondents felt the Jewish community was “better” at “including people with disabilities” compared to five years ago. Not a single respondent felt that the community was doing “worse.” [continue reading…]

RespectAbility is Seeking Three Talented Jews with Disabilities Who Want to Work in Fundraising or Development

RespectAbility Apprentices and Staff

Los Angeles, CA, December 10 – RespectAbility is pleased to announce the opportunity for three talented Jews with disabilities to join the inaugural cohort of our Jewish Development Apprenticeship. This “earn-while-you-learn” opportunity builds on our many years of success training talented college graduates with disabilities to work in the nonprofit sector. Thanks in part to the generosity of the Jewish Venture Philanthropy Fund (JVPF), we have an opportunity to adapt this program to target the skills needed for working in the Jewish sector, and place our graduates with Los Angeles based and other Jewish nonprofits.

Apprentices will gain skills and experience while working alongside RespectAbility for the first part of their apprenticeship. They will then take these skills to a development placement at another Jewish nonprofit, where they will contribute to the mission while demonstrating their capability. Through their success, the Jewish community at large will see the capability of Jews with disabilities. [continue reading…]

Alex Howard

I have always felt different, which I attribute to my disabilities. I have low vision, which I recently found out is due to a rare genetic disorder called MEPAN but I spent most of my life being undiagnosed. I also have Ehlers Danlos Syndrome which effects my walking and physical activity. I feel that I am alone, because these disabilities are so rare on their own, but to have both together is almost unheard of, and I feel that no one quite understands my struggles.

Around the holiday season, being Jewish and celebrating Chanukkah has also made me feel different. In Los Angeles, most of the stores where people would buy decorations and food for Christmas have a very limited selection of Chanukkah decorations. Chanukkah always seemed to take a backseat to Christmas.

Five years ago, I went on a Birthright trip to Israel during Chanukkah. Israel, felt like a paradise. There are town squares with giant menorahs and shops with displays full of jelly donuts. Chanukkah there is like Christmas here. For the first time I did not feel different at this time of year for being Jewish. Interestingly, I also did not feel excluded or separated due to my disability. [continue reading…]