TAP has changed how I view people with disabilities immensely…and how I view people and situations as a whole
by Anna Luce, Mishkan Shalom TAP has been an incredibly enriching experience so far. It has changed how I view people with disabilities immensely, and in turn, has changed how I view people and situations as a whole. As a teenager, I am not predisposed to incredible levels of empathy, it’s something most people develop when they’re older. However, working with people who are different from me has helped me harness a great deal of empathy. Through training and experience, I’ve found that disabilities don’t make people any less whole, just different. Extending myself to those who are different, and [...]
I participate in TAP because every Jewish child deserves the Hebrew School experience…
by Sydney Brown, BTBJ When I walked into the classroom on my first day, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I sat quietly in one of the too small chairs, waiting for instruction. I tried to learn the names of the children as they walked in, although I knew it would take weeks. Ten minutes past, then fifteen. Then, a child with clear distress walked into the class. I approached him and asked what was wrong. He replied that he did not know where to sit, because nobody had told him yet. In a third grade classroom, this is a peculiar [...]
Each one of the boys has left a mark on me, one that I will proudly carry with me into my future.
by Matthew Ladov, Temple Sinai This is now my second year working with a child with autism and I am proud to be in this position. I use the word “proud” to describe being a TAP teen because I have been given the chance to witness first hand that these children are smart, loyal and caring. Last year, I had the opportunity to work with Jacob, a twelve-year-old boy approaching his Jewish rite of passage. I began working with him in November, 2014 until he achieved the milestone of becoming a Bar Mitzvah in March, 2015. I sat as a [...]