Families raising children with disabilities face a number of obstacles to full inclusion in Jewish communal and educational settings.

As part of our signature initiative, Whole Community Inclusion, Jewish Learning Venture applies a lens of disability inclusion to all of our work in order to empower families raising children with disabilities to make Judaism meaningful and relevant for themselves. We provide programs for families and parents through jkidaccess and we help early childhood and congregational educators and teen aids become increasingly more inclusive of children with disabilities.

why it matters

1 in 5 people have some kind of disability – physical, developmental, learning-based, a mental health issue, or a combination of disabilities. Unfortunately, families raising children with disabilities too often struggle to find accessible and inclusive Jewish experiences. Jewish Learning Venture believes that every family raising Jewish children should be supported to find inclusive Jewish experiences where they can make Judaism meaningful and relevant for themselves.

Through Whole Community Inclusion, Jewish Learning Venture is ensuring that the support and accommodations needed for full inclusion are available to families and organizations alike, by:

  • Offering accessible sensory-friendly Jewish programming to all families through jkidaccess and working with parents of children with disabilities to help them adapt Jewish practices and find communal supports;

  • Training educators in early childhood and congregational schools to support students with disabilities and their families;

  • Empowering congregational leaders to more effectively include and support individuals with disabilities and their families; and

  • Advocating on behalf of families raising children with disabilities through the Jewish Disability Inclusion Consortium of Greater Philadelphia, a host of initiatives during Jewish Disability Awareness and Inclusion Month (JDAIM), and other communal gathering opportunities.

HOW WE CAN HELP YOU

An image of two women, smiling and enthusiastically helping a young girl complete a worksheet. They are in a library or setting that has a lot of books behind them. One of the women is sitting next to her and the other is behind her with her arm around the girl

For families raising children with disabilities

Check out jkidACCESS for resources, sensory-friendly holiday celebrations, mitzvah project events, and more. We also have a series of online seminars for parents who would like help adapting Jewish practices to their children’s needs. To learn more, contact Gabrielle Kaplan-Mayer.

A man with a kippah standing in the middle of two young boys who are also wearing kippahs. He is helping them with something they are learning. The boys are smiling and seem excited to be working with the man.

For educators

Whole Community Inclusion provides workshops, coaching and customized support to help you meet the needs of your students of every ability. We also run the only B’nai Mitzvah Tutor Training in the country and train high school students to work as disability inclusion aids in congregational schools through the Teens/Teen Assistant Program. Contact WCI Director, Gabrielle Kaplan-Mayer, to learn about how you can bring WCI’s services to your school or community.

A close-up headshot of a woman with shoulder length frizzy hair in front of a brick wall

For clergy and synagogue leaders

In addition to the B’nai Mitzvah Tutor Training workshops, we provide resources and support for clergy, and work with leaders to establish and sustain synagogue inclusion committees. Contact WCI Director, Gabrielle Kaplan-Mayer, to learn about how you can bring WCI’s services to your school or community

A large group of adults sitting in a room, engaged and focused on listening to somebody speaking to them.

For everyone

Whole Community Inclusion provides so many important resources, events, and services. Keep up with us on our calendar and our monthly WCI newsletter.

Contact WCI Director, Gabrielle Kaplan-Mayer, to learn more about how Jewish Learning Venture can support you, your family, and your organization.

How You Can Help

Interested in helping more families raising kids with disabilities feel welcomed and supported in the Jewish community? Here’s how you can help: