Last month, the Tikvah program for campers with disabilities at Camp Ramah in New England took a group of 12 young adults, graduates of the camper program, to Israel for a ten-day trip. This trip was not the first of its kind. In fact, every two years Ramah New England offers a Tikvah Israel trip, with many participants returning to Israel again and again for a chance to visit the Jewish homeland with their close friends from Ramah.
Read MoreAt the end of every summer, Camp Ramah Darom in Clayton, GA turns into Camp Yofi, where children with autism and their families can enjoy a week of Jewish camping fun and relaxation.
Read MoreEarlier this month I had the incredible opportunity to participate in the first Jewish Leadership Institute on Disability and Inclusion. The Institute brought together Jewish leaders from across North America who are working to make the Jewish community more inclusive of all its members, regardless of individual differences. As a young professional beginning what I hope to be a long and fulfilling career working with people with disabilities in the Jewish community, I cherished the opportunity to connect with other professionals who share my passion.
Read MoreAs we start the New Year, it’s important to look back on what was accomplished for inclusion of Jews with disabilities this past year. We planted the seeds for future progress. Most of the work focused on “setting the table” for inclusion: raising awareness, creating critical policies and standards, and developing and conducting training for professionals. Hopefully, 2014 will be the year of implementation. Meanwhile, here are the top plays and players of 2013.
Read MoreWhat a wonderful evening for Ramah, Tikvah, the disabilities inclusion field, and Howard Blas! This past Sunday night, October 27, Howard Blas received the prestigious Covenant Award at the Covenant Foundation’s annual awards dinner at the Chicago Hyatt Regency. This award is given each year to three outstanding Jewish educators. With hundreds of people in attendance, Howard was acknowledged for his leadership of the inspiring Tikvah program at Ramah New England, supported by camp director Rabbi Ed Gelb and the entire Ramah New England team. He was also recognized for his role as a consultant to the National Ramah Tikvah Network; his year-round teaching of children with disabilities for their bar or bat mitzvah; and his advocacy for inclusion in Jewish education. Howard was nominated for the award by Shira Arcus, the immediate past coordinator of the Ramah Tikvah Network and a long-time Ramah New England camper and staff member.
Read MoreWe have all heard these sentiments expressed before: “Camp was my child’s best Jewish experience,” “Camp changed our lives,” “”I love Camp Ramah!” What was special about hearing these words last week was that they came from Ramah camper alumni with disabilities and parents of campers with disabilities. These families never dreamed that they could have a Jewish camp experience.
Read MoreThe National Ramah Commission has released the results of a new strategic planning survey conducted to document the impact of Ramah special needs programs. Ramah’s leadership in the field of Jewish special needs camping dates back to its first Tikvah program in 1970, the first program of its kind.
Read MoreEzra, part of Tikvah at Ramah California, is a program that provides vocational education (voc-ed) training for young adults with special needs. Last Monday, August 5, I had the pleasure of traveling with five Ezra participants in the van that transported them from camp to their work placements in the town of Ojai. This year, Ezra has been supported in part by a generous National Ramah grant from the Ruderman Family Foundation.
Read MoreAt the end of an inspiring few days that I spent at Camp Ramah in Wisconsin last week, Tikvah director Ralph Schwartz invited me to see some of the work placement sites in nearby Eagle River where Tikvah graduates, now part of the Atzmayim program, are working as interns.
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