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Welcome!

February is Jewish Disability Awareness Month. JFNA is proud to join the Consortium of Jewish Special Educators in recognizing and increasing the awareness of the needs, strengths, opportunities and challenges of people with disabilities in our Jewish communities throughout North America. We are asking each federation to join us in observing Jewish Disability Awareness Month.  JFNA has created this website to facilitate program ideas, as well as professional contacts, to assist your community in planning activities during the month of February and throughout the entire year.  This website was created and will be updated by JFNA’s Human Services and Public Policy Disability Committee, which is composed of lay and professional leaders from across the continental federation movement and provides guidance and direction on policy/advocacy issues related to physical, emotional, and developmental disabilities. 

If you have information about events in your community that you would like to add to this website, please contact Allison Redisch at allison.redisch@jewishfederations.org.  For more information about Jewish Disability Awareness Month or JFNA’s Human Services and Public Policy Disability Committee, please contact David Feinman at david.feinman@jewishfederations.org.

Janet Livingston                    Marcia Cohodes
Baltimore                             Minneapolis

Co-chairs, Jewish Federations of North America’s Disability Committee

The Jewish Federations of North America put together a Resource Guide for Jewish Disability Awareness Month in 2013 and, in collaboration with the Religious Action Center for Reform Judaism and several other organizations, organized Jewish Disability Advocacy Day on February 12, 2013. Shalom TV covered Jewish Disability Advocacy Day in their news report, starting at 4:35 of this video. Additionally, please find information below on events that are taking place for Jewish Disability Awareness Month in local communities across the country. 

Please email us if you have information about JDAM events that are not listed here.

Atlanta

There are many events taking place for Jewish Disability Awareness Month throughout Atlanta.

Baltimore

Baltimore has a full schedule for Jewish Disability Awareness Month.

Boston

There are many programs and events taking place throughout the Boston area for Jewish Disability Awareness Month, including Elaine Hall, one of this year's JDAM Reads authors, speaking at the League School on February 12th.

Boulder

Limmud Colorado's Annual Conference is becoming inclusive for the first time, and Congregation Har Hashem is bringing a speaker from Minnesota.

Calgary

In March, Calgary will hold a screening of AUTISM: The Musical, as well as an inclusion workshop.

Chicago

On February 12, a joint program of JCFS, CJE SeniorLife, JVS and Linkanges, entitled Policy, Advocacy and You:  The Changing Landscape of Disability and Aging Services will take place in Chicago.

Denver

Learn more about Denver's Fifth Annual Jewish Disabilities Awareness Day and Family Resource Fair, on January 27, 2013.

Detroit

The Alliance for Jewish Education's Opening the Doors Partnership Program of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit has an extensive calendar of Jewish Disability Awareness Month events. 

Durham-Chapel Hill

BRIDGES is an initiative of the Durham-Chapel Hill Jewish Federation JCC; their mission is to provide social, recreational, educational, and cultural programs and activities for individuals with special needs and their families in a welcoming Jewish setting. 

Houston

Houston celebrates Jewish Disability Awareness Month with many programs, including a ReelAbilities Film Festival.

Los Angeles

Making Jewish life more accessible for all is a top priority for The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles. As part of the national effort to raise awareness about members of the Jewish community with disabilities, Los Angeles is celebrating Inclusion Awareness Month in February 2013.

Metrowest (NJ)

In MetroWest, NJ, many events will celebrate Jewish Disability Awareness Month in February and March. Further information can be found on the MetroWestABLE site as well.   

New York

Jewish Disability Awareness Month is being celebrated in New York with events such as the ReelAbilities Film Festival.

Philadelphia

In 2013, many events will take place in Philadelphia for Jewish Disability Awareness Month, including Understanding the World of Transitioning Teens and Young Adults Who Are On The Spectrum And Beyond and An Evening with Dan Gottlieb. The Jewish Learning Venture has also listed many opportunities.

Phoenix

Phoenix is having a guardianship presentation, and is collaborating with the local Jewish film festival. They also will be launching an accessibility survey during Jewish Disability Awareness Month.

Providence

In Providence, Ms. Hall will participate in the screening of AUTISM: The Musical, and will meet with clergy and religious educators on the topic of inclusion.

Seattle

In Seattle, the JFS emphasizes that every month is Jewish Disability Awareness Month, but have highlighted this for February.

Toledo

The Jewish Federation of Toledo is partnering with religious schools from Temple Shomer Emunim, Congregation B’nai Israel and Congregation Etz Chayim to celebrate Jewish Disability Awareness Month, at Congregation B’nai Israel on February 3rd. For more information, click here.

Greater Washington

The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington has resources and information on events for JDAM. Additionally, a ReelAbilities film festival will be taking place.

Additional Materials

The JDAM Reads book club program is kicks off its second year, and there are many opportunities for both children and adults to participate in this innovative program.

The Mitzvah Bowl was created by two mothers in Pennsylvania, with the goal of providing a simple resource to find a personally rewarding community service projects for bar/bat mitzvah students. To commemorate Jewish Disabilities Awareness month, The Mitzvah Bowl would love to hear from you on their blog with mitzvah project ideas for special needs students.

National Organizations

Yachad, The National Jewish Council for Disabilities, has designated February as North American Inclusion Month. Purim takes place in February this year, and the Yachad is enabling the deaf and hard of hearing to participate in the reading of Megillat Esther. You can find out more about NAIM from their letter and flyer, and synagogues can take their survey about inclusion.  Yachad is affiliated with the Orthodox Union.

The Religious Action Center for Reform Judaism's Disability Rights page is focusing on Jewish Disability Awareness Month in 2013.

The Jewish Special Education International Consortium, originator of Jewish Disability Awareness Month, is a professional network of Directors, Coordinators and Administrators of Jewish special education services in central agencies for Jewish education. Communities that do not have central agencies are represented by a designee of the local Jewish Federation.  To contact a member in your area or learn more about the mission of this network, visit:  www.jsped.org.