On February 23, 2021, Rabbi Darby Leigh spoke at the Center for Jewish Education’s ASL Meet Up to celebrate Jewish Disability Awareness and Inclusion Month.
Jewish Inclusion Webinars
From Isolation to Elevation: Tips to Disability Inclusion and Belonging
Presented by the Jewish Community Center of Metropolitan Detroit’s Opening the Doors Program and RespectAbility’s National Disability Speakers Bureau
Moderated by Mitchell S. Parker, PhD, psychologist
Speaker Bios
Jennifer Fink is a social entrepreneur and management consultant whose passion lies in promoting behavioral and community health to empower individuals learning to cope with mental health challenges. Due to an accident and illness in her mid-20s, Ms. Fink lives with nonvisible disabilities, anxiety, and depression. Fink had founded a nonprofit and co-authored a children’s book supporting military children. She collaborated with the Obama White House’s Joining Forces Initiative, and due to Fink’s finesse, former First Lady Michelle Obama filmed a video for a USO Asia-Pacific Tour that Fink co-led. A captivating and relatable storyteller, she weaves humor and grace as she embraces and shares her story, wisdom, and lessons learned from her journey.
Dr. Arielle Silverman has been both Jewish and blind since birth. She has worked with Jewish camps, congregations, and other organizations to help build a culture of inclusion. Dr. Silverman has also studied and conducted research on the psychology of disability. She speaks on the tensions between her intersecting disabled and Jewish identities; simple principles for fostering inclusion across ability lines; and learning to correct our own biases toward people who are different.
Ava Rigelhaupt speaks at Congregation Har Shalom
RespectAbility Communications Fellow and 2020 Lab alumni Ava Rigelhaupt speaks about autism and Judaism for Jewish Disability Awareness and Inclusion Month 2021 at Congregation Har Shalom.
Lauren Appelbaum Speaks at Melrose B’nai Israel Emanu-El
For Jewish Disability Awareness and Inclusion Month 2021, Lauren Appelbaum, Vice President of Communications at RespectAbility, spoke about her work.
Shelly Christensen Speaks at Reform Temple of Rockland
Shelly Christensen from RespectAbility’s Speakers Bureau spoke about disability inclusion at the Reform Temple of Rockland for JDAM 2021.
From Moses to Marlee: Celebrating Jews with Disabilities and Diverse Identities through Conversation, Creativity, and Music
A special evening celebrating Jewish diversity through storytelling and music. [continue reading…]
Panel Discussion: Intelligent Lives
Intelligent Lives stars three pioneering young adults with intellectual disabilities—Micah, Naieer, and Naomie—who challenge perceptions of intelligence as they navigate high school, college, and the workforce. Award-winning actor and narrator Chris Cooper contextualizes the lives of these central characters through the emotional and personal story of his son Jesse, as the film unpacks the shameful and ongoing track record of intelligence testing in the United States.
Watch a lively dialogue about the poignant film, moderated by Joy Stein, Director of Inclusion and Disability Programming at the Edlavitch DCJCC. Featured panelists are Carly Okyle, Jordyn Zimmerman, and Yonatan Koch, all members of RespectAbility’s National Disability Speakers Bureau: Jewish Division. [continue reading…]
Training: “How to Ensure Legal Rights and Compliance Obligations”
Read the transcript
Download the accessible PowerPoint
While our main focus is on doing inclusion right, at some point your organization may need to know little bit about its legal rights and obligations. This session will cover those topics, including the special sensitivities and limitations applying to religious organizations.
Panelists Include
- Moderator: Matan Koch – Director of RespectAbility California and Jewish Leadership
- Ariella Barker – Former RespectAbility Fellow
- Robert “Bobby” Silverstein – Principal, Powers Pyles Sutter & Verville PC
- Matthew W. Dietz, Esq. – Litigation Director, Disability Independence Group, Inc.
[continue reading…]
Training: “How to Create and Implement Successful Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives”
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Download the Accessible PowerPoint
We shared how to take your deep commitment to Diversity and Inclusion and make it a reality. Learn from some truly successful leaders as they share the secret of their Diversity and Inclusion success, exploring the successful disability initiatives of which they’ve been apart, and looking at their intersection with other initiatives in the diversity space, including LGBTQ+ and beyond.
Panelists Include
- Moderator: Linda Burger, MSSW – RespectAbility Board of Directors Treasurer and Jewish Family Services Houston
- Dorsey Massey, LMSW – JCC Manhattan
- Sally Weber, LCSW – Program Consultant
[continue reading…]
Training: “How to Ensure a Welcoming Lexicon, Accessible Websites and Social Media and Inclusive Photos”
Read the Transcript
Download the Accessible PowerPoint
Download Accessibility Partners’ Best Practices Document
Today’s website is the front lobby of an organization, and social media is fast supplanting the more traditional ways that our organizations connect with the public. We can’t help you decorate your lobby, but we can make sure that it is warm and welcoming for Jews of all kinds, including Jews with disabilities. Learn from our dynamic and expert team everything you need to know to open your digital door to all!
Panelists Include
- Moderator: Tatiana Lee – Hollywood Inclusion Associate at RespectAbility
- Sharon Rosenblatt – Accessibility Partners
- River McMican – Keshet: For LGBTQ equality in Jewish life
