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veryone wants to belong. It is a human instinct shared overwhelmingly by people the world over, no matter their culture, their language or their upbringing. Individuals with disabilities share this desire — magnified exponentially. As Jews, our sense of belonging extends to our own communities, synagogues, yeshiva/day schools, or any environment in which Jewish people may be found. I am profoundly pleased and thankful that within Yachad’s communal reach in the U.S., Canada, and Israel children and adults with disabilities are welcome, treated with respect, and given the opportunity to lead full Jewish lives in an increasing number of communities each year. Thanks to Yachad, and its incredible work over the past thirty years, inclusion of individuals with disabilities DR. JEFFREY LICHTMAN has become a priority for our Jewish communities. Over the years I’ve had the honor to work with a variety International Director of highly motivated professionals and lay people who devote countless hours to their work with Yachad, its staff and members. We have been privileged to have Mr. Aaron Kinderlehrer serve as the Yachad national chairman for the last 6 years. During that time Yachad has experienced phenomenal growth. Having said that, I am thrilled, to welcome Mr. Mitch Aeder, a member of the OU Board of Directors as our new Yachad chairman. I look forward to working with Mitch over the months and years to come to continue to advance Yachad’s mission and goals. I am not exaggerating when I use the word “phenomenal” with regard to our growth. Here are a few developments for your consideration: • Recently, we held our 29th Annual Northeast Yachad Family Shabbaton, which drew a capacity gathering of more than 900 people; we have expanded these wonderful events to the Midwest, West Coast, and soon to Canada. • Our North American Inclusion Month (NAIM) in February reached more synagogues, schools and other Jewish institutions than ever before, while our Purim PowerPoint presentation, which allows everyone to participate in the Megillah reading, was screened in more than 220 synagogues, schools and community centers—its audience grows every year. • We were thrilled when President Obama signed the ABLE Act into law. This vital legislation provides a tax-deferred savings vehicle for persons with disabilities, much like the “529 Education Savings Plan.” Yachad members, staff and leadership joined with the OU Advocacy Center to go to Washington, meet with senators and representatives. Congress listened and the President followed through. • New York synagogues are requesting so many Yachad Shabbatonim (weekend retreats) that there simply aren’t enough weekends in a year to accommodate their requests. • The New Jersey Vocational Program has doubled in its two years of existence. I invite you to sit back and enjoy this fascinating issue of Belong as you absorb the thrilling and heart-warming developments at Yachad that we are so proud to relate in these pages. Have a good, restful summer and we’ll see you again soon, B’Yachad!
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ho does Yachad aim to include in the broad Jewish community? Is it individuals with special needs? Their parents? Their extended families? The kid in the classroom who doesn’t read so well? The girl on the volleyball team who never plays? The answers are yes, yes, yes, yes and yes. Yachad’s slogan of “Because Everyone Belongs” really describes Yachad very well. We believe that everyone — yes, everyone — has the right to be a part of our community. It’s my responsibility to accomplish that. It’s your responsibility, too; it is our collective responsibility. With this in mind, we are making a strong effort to bring elementary school-aged students into Yachad programming. Our Junior Yachad division has always programmed together with local elementary schools, but with Yachad’s Bar and Bat Mitzvah Program we try to offer young men and women who are becoming bnei ELI HAGLER or bnot mitzvah the opportunity to include Yachad in their celebrations/parties or to work with us on a Associate Director chessed or project that includes and benefits everyone. Additionally, for the first time, our Team Yachad fundraising program that participates in endurance races, has participated in a 5K, a much more manageable distance for younger participants than a 26.1 mile marathon or a half-marathon. In November 2014, we had almost 200 runners in Manhattan’s Riverside Park, including a group of close to 50 elementary school students from Manhattan Day School (MDS). Due to that great success, we are now participating in 5K races in the Five Towns, The Bronx, Manhattan and New Jersey and looking at additional events in Chicago, Florida, Philadelphia and Baltimore. At 2014’s 28th Annual Northeast Yachad Family Shabbaton, a weekend retreat for the entire Yachad family, we launched an eighth-grade leadership program. Twenty select eighth-grade leaders joined us at this event to see firsthand how impactful a Yachad experience can be with the hope they would bring that passion back to their communities, friends and new high schools. This year 23 eighth-graders joined us at the 29th Annual Shabbaton in Stamford, CT. Having more young people participate in our programs affords us the opportunity to educate the next generation of leaders. Today’s elementary school students have the great fortune of growing up in a community that has already been exposed to Yachad for 30-plus years. Their schools, synagogues, homes and communities are already more inclusive of people with special needs than that of their older siblings or parents. We are so proud that Yachad has played an integral role in making that happen! In this, our fourth edition of BELONG, we introduce you to people, programs and happenings from all over the world as the message of inclusion continues to spread. Please enjoy it!
BELONG 2015-2016
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