By Gabrielle Kaplan-Mayer, Director, Whole Community Inclusion
Every year, Jewish Learning Venture’s “Whole Community Inclusion” shares a number of programs during February in recognition of Jewish Disability Awareness & Inclusion Month (JDAIM). Jewish Disability Awareness & Inclusion Month is a unified international initiative during the month of February to raise disability awareness and support efforts to foster inclusion in Jewish communities worldwide.
This year, we are launching a new initiative called JDAIM Shabbat Across Philadelphia and are asking every synagogue in our area to dedicate one Shabbat service to disability inclusion issues through a D’var Torah, special speaker or simply sharing by congregants about their experiences.
Each year during JDAIM, several books by Jewish authors highlighting disability issues are chosen for JDAIM Reads. Synagogues, JCCs, book groups and other organizations are