Yaffa & Ari Ash: Pursuing Yachad's Mission Together

Yachad has changed many lives for the better in immeasurable ways. Two of those people are Yaffa and Ari Ash, who met each other through their work with Yachad. Yaffa was first exposed to Yachad via a Shabbaton she attended with a friend during high school. She soon found her niche, and from 2004 to 2009 she worked as a coordinator, advisor, and counselor in various Yachad programs, including Yad b’ Yad. Meanwhile, her future husband Ari, with whom she shared mutual childhood friends but had never actually met in person, also began to contribute his time and talents to Yachad. Eventually, Yaffa and Ari met at a Yachad Shabbaton in 2007 and became friends. Later that year, at the same site of the Shabbaton where they first met and worked together, Ari proposed. The importance of disability inclusion was instilled in Yaffa from a very early age by her mother, who worked in special education and exposed Yaffa to the diversity of humankind. Yaffa feels that this helped her achieve a greater understanding of how people with disabilities can and should fit as equal and useful members. She and Ari live by this belief in their daily lives, and they work tirelessly to impart the idea of true inclusion and equality to others. To further that goal, they advise teens to “forget all your expectations” about Yachad inclusion events “and think of it as just hanging out with new people.” This seemingly obvious piece of advice hides a powerful message. Many people in the wider world have unfortunate preconceived – and often downright incorrect – notions of what people with disabilities are like, and also about what it might be like to form social relationships with them. It’s important to remember that people with disabilities are simply people – people with hearts and minds and feelings. They can share so much with you, and you with them. “So get involved,” they encourage young people, “as we did.” And who knows? You might just meet that special someone who shares your values and commitment.

Deborah Berman is the Director of Social Work at Yachad

This is an article from Belong Magazine 2014. For more information, or to receive your own copy contact belong@ou.org