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Day 8: Make Your Shul More Inclusive

Shuls are perhaps the most key aspects of Jewish communal life, providing a home for B’nei Mitzvot, celebrations, educational programming, and formative youth events. It’s crucial, then, that Shuls provide a space in which every member of its community can participate and feel like he/she belongs. Ask these questions and consider whether or not your […]

Day 7: Learn About Disabilities

A disability is largely defined as a physical or cognitive attribute that makes it difficult to participate in a mainstream environment. Notice that many of the main challenges facing those with disabilities are societal in nature; if buildings were constructed so as to allow a person using a wheelchair to have easy access, much of […]

Day 6: Spread the Word to End the Word

The word retarded is an offensive, demeaning word often improperly used to refer to something stupid, crazy, or annoying. Many people who use the “R-Word” justify it by saying things like “Well, I didn’t mean it like that.” Unfortunately, it doesn’t really matter how a person means it; The “R-word” unfairly links people with special […]

Day 5: Saving a Seat for Someone New

We are naturally accustomed to limit our interactions to people familiar to us and shy away from conversations with people outside of our social circles. While this sometimes might make it easier to feel comfortable, it sadly prevents us from learning all sorts of things from those with different backgrounds and life experiences. Let’s not […]

Day 4: Read "Those Kids"

In “Those-Kids” a mother of a child with disabilities writes about how she’d like her son to be treated. Please read this story and consider the accompanying questions. Was the young boy doing anything wrong in his relationship with his neighbor with a disability? What’s the difference between “Chessed” and doing something nice for […]

Day 3: Share #MyYachadStory

In its 35 years, Yachad has touched the lives of thousands of people, creating a more accepting, inclusive Jewish community. Each story is different. Perhaps one person attended Yad B’Yad, Yachad’s inclusive Israel Experience, worked as a counselor in its various summer camps and actively participated in its Shabbatonim. Another might’ve only watched from a […]

Day 2: What Inclusive Body Language Adds To A Conversation

It’s not always easy to notice, but the way you stand in a conversation tells a lot about how interested you are in an outsider’s involvement. If you and your friends are standing close to one another, shoulders practically touching, it becomes especially difficult—perhaps impossible—for another person to feel comfortable “breaking-up” that seemingly intimate conversation. […]

Day 1: What is Inclusion?

“Inclusion” is a word that’s thrown around a lot; it’s heard on the radio and on TV, a goal that society is working towards accomplishing. But what does it mean? Why is it important? And who benefits from disability inclusion? Let’s define what inclusion is not. It’s not about offering a hand to an underprivileged […]

North American Inclusion Month (NAIM)

Yachad is dedicated to the inclusion of all Jews with disabilities in every aspect of Jewish life. Our inclusive design aims to ensure individuals with diverse abilities their rightful place within the Jewish community, while helping to educate and advocate for a greater understanding, acceptance, outreach, and a pro-disability attitude. The goal of North […]