As the program manager of the Minneapolis Jewish Community Inclusion Program for People with Disabilities for 13 years, I was invited to speak about the program at numerous Jewish community events. I spoke about changing attitudes and fighting stigma to advance inclusion. Following many presentations, someone from the audience waited to speak to me, waiting [click to continue...]
Neil Jacobson may not have known, but he was my teacher. Neil Jacobson was one of the earliest pioneers in Jewish disability inclusion and belonging. His grassroots advocacy and action in his own congregation became a call to action for other synagogues and Jewish organizations in the Reform movement and beyond. Neil’s influence and his [click to continue...]
I interviewed Neil and Denise Jacobson, following a Jewish community screening of the film, “Crip Camp.” They were featured in the film along with Neil’s childhood friend, Judy Heumann, of blessed memory. Neil was a child of Shoah (Holocaust) survivors. Neil described his father as “the happiest, friendliest, most easy-going guy I have yet to [click to continue...]
The summer I was eight, I was sent to a sleep-away camp for the month of July. The girls slept in a big dormitory, and my bed was in the center aisle. I have only one other memory about the camp—just one incident that has stayed with me all these years: The time my bed [click to continue...]
When I think of the meaning of “a community of belonging,” it is the community that Keshet has created, particularly at camp. Each summer I sit in the picnic grove at camp, and I look out at our camp community with hundreds of disabled and non-disabled campers and staff and get overwhelmed with emotions. The [click to continue...]
We at RespectAbility’s Faith Inclusion and Belonging department know firsthand the importance of faith-based summer camps for providing spiritual and community formation. One might believe the work of faith inclusion is limited to what we do in worship services together, but as we learned from our recent webinar with Tammy Besser and Sarah McKenney, what [click to continue...]
Transcript Ben Bond: Hello, my name is Ben Bond. I am the Faith Inclusion and Belonging Associate here at RespectAbility. I use he/they pronouns. I’m a white genderqueer person with brown hair, glasses, and beard, with a burgundy shirt. I am here to welcome Feryaal. Feryaal Tahir: Hi everyone. My name is Feryaal Tahir. I [click to continue...]
Transcript Chag sameach! Happy Passover! My name is Rabbi Lauren Tuchman, and I’m going to speak for a few minutes about celebrating Passover in an accessible and inclusive manner. Passover is Zman Cheruteinu – time of our freedom. It is a central holiday in the Jewish tradition, a time where we come together with families [click to continue...]
In the Christian tradition, Holy Week is the last week of Lent. The significant days within Holy Week often include but are not limited to: Palm Sunday, when Jesus enters Jerusalem; Maundy Thursday, where Jesus has his last supper with the Disciples; Good Friday, which commemorates the death of Jesus; and Easter, which celebrates the [click to continue...]
Judy Heumann embodied cross-disability solidarity throughout her life, beginning with her time at Camp Jened, a summer camp for disabled teenagers. She created life-long friendships with other disabled folks that formed the foundation of their organizing work for the passage of the ADA. Cross-disability friendship is a powerful bond. It is a love that insists [click to continue...]
