Jewish community professionals, educators, rabbis and lay leaders representing 12 synagogues and organizations throughout Broward County recently met at Temple Kol Ami Emanu-El in Plantation to inaugurate the Thought Leadership Forum for the Jewish Disabilities Inclusion Project.
The Jewish Disabilities Inclusion Project, which was conceived and is managed and supported by Goodman Jewish Family Services of Broward County, was created to support Jewish agencies and synagogues in their work to include people with disabilities at their own facilities. The project advocates for the inclusion and active involvement of those with disabilities and their families in the broad spectrum of spiritual, educational, health, healing, cultural and recreational activities of the Broward County Jewish community and Klal Yisrael –The Worldwide Community of the Jewish People.
Alan Feldman, director of Joshua’s Path at Goodman JFS, said regarding the project, “It’s going to help us build a more vibrant Jewish community that is going to be whole because it’s going to include all members of the community, both people with and without disabilities, and it’s going to make us a more inclusive community.”
The project provides resources, information and educational workshops that are intended to aid the effort to reduce isolation of those with disabilities and support a communal dedication to diversity, while the Thought Leadership Forum, which is comprised of individuals from participating organizations and interested Jewish community members, provides guidance for it.
Each participating entity is forming a Disability Inclusion Committee/Task Force with the initial task of undertaking a comprehensive synagogue or agency self-assessment to determine how they currently address inclusion of those with disabilities. The six areas involved in this self-assessment are physical accessibility, communication, education, volunteers & employment, worship & ritual and social, recreational & leisure programming. Assessment results will provide each organization with necessary information to develop a Roadmap to Inclusion for their synagogue or agency.
The project, which received funding from The Network of Jewish Human Services Agencies and the Jewish Federation of Broward County, welcomes all synagogues and Jewish organizations throughout Broward that are interested in participating. Contact Feldman at 954-909-0815 or AFeldman@jfsbroward.org for more information on the project. Visit jfsbroward.org for more information on the agency.