Faith and Spirituality

Nicole Olarsch

Every year on Yom Kippur, the most solemn Jewish holiday, “sin” and “repentance” are the key words stuck in my head. But for someone who is already experiencing depression and/or other mental illness, these themes can be extremely upsetting and even harmful to think about. For people like me who live with depression, especially when their thoughts are spiraling negatively, thinking about the things that one has done and how they may have harmed others creates even further self-doubt. It can also lead one down a rabbit hole of negative and anxious thoughts.

I can tell you from experience that finding a good mood is hard for me. That’s what depression does. And when I find myself happy and enjoying the world around me, the last thing I should be doing is reflecting upon minor things that my anxiety can spin into something major. It’s not that I don’t care about my Judaism. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. However, I know I need to prioritize my mental health first. That’s why I sit with my prayers and reflect in bits and pieces on Yom Kippur, as to not let things become irrationally overwhelming. [continue reading…]

Shabbat shalom and shana tova from RespectAbility! We hope you have a great year ahead and enjoy the animation above, created by former Jewish Inclusion Fellow Ben Rosloff. He is the force behind the disability film series “What Do You Pray For?”

At our website, you can find a list of accessible high holiday services. To congregations that are still making arrangements, it is too late for us to update the list for Rosh Hashanah, but we would be absolutely delighted to add you on for Yom Kippur. I’m also delighted to share two columns that explore how we can take the theme of T’shuvah and apply it to our inclusion practices. You can find the first one here and the second one here. [continue reading…]

Rosh Hashanah marks a fresh start, and is supposed to be a joyous day! And it is, for the most part, until I’m awkwardly sitting at dinner among my friends and family who are passing challah and engaged in conversations.

For probably 6 going on 7 years, I’ve been gluten-free. Before that, I have fond memories of passing the challah and dipping challah and apples into honey with my grandparents. At least for my family, I know that food, cooking and preparing for the holidays have been a major tradition and component of how we have celebrated Judaism and Jewish holidays. Making matzah ball soup with my mom and latkes with my sister are some of our greatest memories. [continue reading…]

Michelle K. Wolf

In my five years as Executive Director of JLA Trust & Services, a Los Angeles-based nonprofit that helps Jewish and non-Jewish adults with a range of disabilities enjoy a high quality of life with affordable pooled special needs trusts, I have noticed one clear determinant of wellness and happiness for our clients. Is there a family member, close friend or kind neighbor who can provide ongoing support and assistance? In other words, is there anyone in this person’s life who is not being paid to care for this individual?

It is that crucial factor, much more than the primary diagnosis, level and impact of disability or even the amount of money available to them that makes the difference. Government programs cannot be counted on to take the initiative and follow through with individualized help. Support and friendship can come in many packages and forms, from a sibling or aunt who lives close by or far away, a former brother-in-law, or from a long-time friend of the parents. For one of our older clients, his help came from the two adult daughters of his girlfriend, even though that girlfriend had passed away. [continue reading…]

David Sharif

Have you encountered an autistic student in your synagogue or religious school classroom? Have you wanted to interact with this student, but were unsure how to? These questions can be answered in many ways, but it requires collaboration between the students, parents, educators, and administration. Acceptance from classmates and the congregation as a whole is essential to creating a nurturing environment. It can be a challenging process, but it is worthwhile because autistic people have valuable contributions to make.

I was diagnosed with autism at the age of four. I could learn to read a word phonetically but struggled to understand the meaning of a sentence. [continue reading…]

Shalom Institute creates an accessible and welcoming community for all backgrounds, abilities and walks-of-life to develop deep relationships and grow physically and emotionally through our overnight camps, year-round retreats, nature education, holiday, and community experiences, all of which are grounded in Jewish values.

We intentionally foster an inclusive community. The two programs for which we are most known for doing this are Camp JCA Shalom overnight camp and Shemesh Farms. [continue reading…]

Aaron Wolf

Aaron Wolf is an incredibly talented filmmaker, an award-winning actor, and an overall wonderful person! Aaron has created a multitude of films, ranging from The LD, which helped get him into film school, to the more well-known films Restoring Tomorrow and The Walk, to his recently released adventure-thriller TAR. These films are based on Aaron’s Jewish roots and experiences with his grandfather and learning disabilities. Looking at the success of these films, one might assume that Aaron has always been completely connected to his Judaism and open and accepting of his learning disabilities, however his journey and relationship with disability and Judaism has not been linear.

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The Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) is the umbrella organization for 146 Jewish Federations and more than 300 independent Jewish communities across North America. Each Federation supports a number of service providers, such as nonprofit hospitals, nursing and assisted living facilities, group homes, family service agencies, and vocational training organizations–programs that, taken together, provide care to more than 1.3 million people of all faiths and socio-economic levels. Many of these provide vital services to people with disabilities. JFNA’s disability work focuses on inclusion, with a particular emphasis on policies that support our Federations and their partners. [continue reading…]

“Keshet is a one-of-a-kind organization that brings classroom experience, camps, sports, social and vocational activities, and residential opportunities. One of a few organizations in the country where a child can start programs and the age of 3 and continue throughout adulthood. Keshet grows alongside your child and family. Keshet is a national leader in inclusive summer camp. We pioneered the model of a disability service organization partnering with established camps to ensure that camp is available to kids of all abilities can be part of fully inclusive camp programs.”