About a decade ago, I regularly attended a synagogue where I sat near a teenager who relied on a wheelchair to get around. The synagogue had a ramp to the bimah, allowing the young man — who was a kohen — to receive aliyot. And I recall being struck at the time by how notable this was, perhaps because I’d so infrequently witnessed this kind of inclusion in other Jewish contexts.
I was reminded of this last week, when I had the honor of representing UJA-Federation of New York at the opening of the ReelAbilities: NY Disabilities Film Festival, the largest festival in the country dedicated to promoting awareness and appreciation of the lives, stories, and artistic expressions of people with disabilities. The film festival, launched in 2007 by the Jewish Community Center in Manhattan, with UJA-Federation’s support, is now a nationwide initiative, spanning 15 cities.
The premise is simple. Don’t just tell people what it’s like to look or walk or think or feel differently. Show them, educate and move them, and then open the conversation.
Statistics around disabilities and inclusion in our community tell a difficult story. It’s estimated that up to 20 percent of Jews have some sort of disability. And in a survey conducted by the Foundation for Jewish Camp, 46 percent of Jewish parents reported that their child had been turned away from a Jewish program or institution because of his or her disability.
Clearly, there’s still real work to be done to develop the resources to create a truly inclusive Jewish community.
UJA-Federation has increasingly invested in inclusion efforts that touch individual lives and elicit far-reaching change. In Moscow, we’re helping kids with special needs to be included in Jewish schools, camps, and community centers. In Israel, we’re assisting young adults with disabilities to participate in a volunteer year of national service. In New York, we support camps for children with disabilities, as well as programs offering internships and employment training for people with special needs. One such program, funded by the Ruderman Family Foundation, placed young adults with disabilities in internships at Jewish federations, including our own. Our newly launched Synagogue Inclusion Project is focused on just what its name suggests — guiding synagogues to become more open and welcoming. And that’s just a snapshot of what we make possible.
There’s no single cure-all for a society that struggles with difference. And change comes slowly. It may happen when you’re in the dark, watching a movie, or in synagogue, sharing a bimah. These are the ways we move forward, individually and together — walking or rolling — on the path to becoming an inclusive community.
One day I hope to be sitting near a person with a disability fully engaged in Jewish life — and realize that what was once notable has become the norm.
Shabbat shalom