Every year, as spring comes and the boxes of matzah appear on grocery store shelves, my social media feed fills with reminders to start cleaning early. Memes about flourless treats abound, pictures of the perfect Seder plate crop up, and my stomach twists into knots. Our cycle of holidays is a back and forth of [click to continue...]
RespectAbility’s message testing shows us that, in general, people prefer a message that says that we are a stronger community when we are welcoming, diverse, and respect one another, and that everyone should have an equal opportunity to fully participate in our community. 87 percent of respondents in our 2021 survey of the Jewish community [click to continue...]
Survey of 222 Jews in the NYC community shows progress, while identifying areas in need of continued improvement Download Topline Data (Excel) New York, NY, April 1 – 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 [click to continue...]
It was probably 20 or more years ago that I first heard the words “please rise if you are able” while sitting in a service. While there are obvious flaws in this construction, not the least of which being the express exclusion of those, who, like me, might not be able to rise in the [click to continue...]
“Do not curse the deaf, or place a stumbling block before the blind” – Leviticus 19:14 This quote was the initial inspiration for Ariel Gold’s pursuit of the question, “What does the Hebrew Bible have to say about disabled people and disability?” In her essay, “Judaism and Disability: The Hebrew Bible as a Basis for Advancing Disability [click to continue...]
I am excited to introduce Graciano Petersen, RespectAbility’s new Senior Director for Training, Culture, and Leadership Development and my new boss! Graciano has over 13 years of adult education experience and is passionate about interweaving his background in education and diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA). Graciano’s experience in developing and educating leaders ideally positions [click to continue...]
The first time I fainted in synagogue, no one was caught more by surprise than me. It was 2017 and I was freshly discharged from treatment for anorexia and bulimia. I was already deep in relapse, and even deeper in denial. I’m not the type of person who likes to draw attention to myself, and [click to continue...]
Israel Elwyn (IE), an award-winning nonprofit based in Israel, provides a wide range of supports for people with disabilities. In pursuit of a just and accessible society, IE serves approximately 5,200 individuals with disabilities of all ages. The organization “foresees a society in which individuals with disabilities will be citizens with equal rights; a society [click to continue...]
Jewish Family Service & Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley: Disability & Inclusion in our Jewish Community Jewish Family Service (JFS) of the Lehigh Valley hosted a virtual town hall entitled “Disability and Inclusion in our Jewish Community.” Led by Lily Coltoff, Internal Communications Associate at Hillel International, and Amanda Thomas, Disability Liaison at JFS [click to continue...]
Jewish Disability Advocacy Day (JDAD) 2022 focused on breaking down barriers and making positive change. The two-day virtual event, hosted by the Jewish Federation of North America (JFNA) and the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism (RAC), featured leaders of partner organizations on panel discussions, emphasized the collective power of the disability community to advance [click to continue...]
