February is Jewish Disability, Awareness and Inclusion Month (JDAIM), a continental initiative highlighted during the month of February—and realized year-round—to raise awareness and support efforts to foster inclusion in Jewish communities worldwide. As part of JCC Association of North America’s ongoing commitment to inclusion efforts throughout the JCC Movement, we are proud to present a series of programs featuring our JCCs of North America and invited guest speakers.

Review the session line-up, and register below to come learn with us on Thursdays in February!

February 4
A Culture of Belonging: How the JCC Movement is Leading the Way on Equality and Inclusiveness
February 11
A Culture of Belonging: Arts, Culture, and Play
February 18
A Dream Never Dreamed: Kalman Samuels Shares a Story of Hope, Courage, and Leadership
February 25
A Culture of Belonging: At the JCC, at Camp, and at Home

February 4

A Culture of Belonging: How the JCC Movement is Leading the Way on Equality and Inclusiveness

Register Here

Presented in partnership with Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA)
Host: Mark Horowitz, vice president, Program and Talent, JCC Association
Moderator: Todd Rockoff, president and CEO, Tucson JCC, AZ

This program will feature three presentations:

Inclusion Through the Jewish Lenses: Todd Rockoff, president and CEO, Tucson JCC, AZ
JCCs use Jewish lenses to guide our work holistically. We’ll share these important tools and how they inform the ways we support our communities.

Our Bagel Club’s Journey to Israel: Leamore Cohen, inclusion services coordinator JCC of Greater Vancouver, BC and Alisa Polsky, Program Participant
Join us as Sara Sless, assistant director, JCC Association Center for Israel Engagement, interviews Leamore about the experiences of the adults with disabilities she led on a truly unique journey to Israel.

Nothing About Us Without Us at the J—Before, During and Beyond the Pandemic: Livya Mendelsohn, director, accessibility and inclusion artistic director, ReelAbilities Film Festival Toronto, Miles Nadal JCC, Toronto
The Miles Nadal JCC strives to be an all-abilities facility. Learn about the J’s approach to community engagement and barrier-breaking programs, both before and during the pandemic.

February 11

A Culture of Belonging: Arts, Culture, and Play

Register Here

Host: Adrienne Matros, JCC Association board member, Newport Coast, CA
Moderator: Scott Ehrlich, CEO, David Posnack JCC, Davie, FL

This session will feature three presentations:

The Gib Shop: A Very Special Gift Shop on Wheels: Debbie Lombard, Giborim U director, David Posnack JCC, Davie, FL
“Extraordinary goods sold by extraordinary people” is an apt description for the Gib Shop, which supports individuals, families, small businesses, and the JCC and its community. Products sold at the Gib Shop are created by artists with exceptional abilities.

Theatre for All–20 Years of Shows With a Special Cast: Laura Seymour, director of camping services, Aaron Family JCC of Dallas, TX      
Learn how the Dallas J creates musical theater favorites from “My Fair Lady” to “Grease” and “Fiddler on the Roof” featuring casts of adults with developmental disabilities and a crew of teen volunteers.

Beyond Access and Tolerance: Designing an Inclusive Space: Sara Wasserman, Director of the Blaustein Early Childhood Center at the Birnbaum JCC in Bridgewater, NJ, and Sheva Center Leadership Institute Fellow
Learn the story of an outdoor classroom and sensory garden and how they were designed and created to be used and enjoyed by all. Kathy Pomer, director, Sheva Center: Innovation in Early Childhood Jewish Education and Engagement, JCC Association of North America, will interview Wasserman to bring this story to life.

February 18

A Dream Never Dreamed: Kalman Samuels Shares a Story of Hope, Courage, and Leadership

Register Here

Host and Moderator: Lisa Brill, JCC Association board member and vice chair
Guest Speaker: Kalman Samuels, author and founder of Shalva
Interviewer: Doron Krakow, president and CEO, JCC Association of North America

In 1977, Rabbi Kalman Samuels and his wife, Malki Klein, welcomed their second son Yossi into their family. Raising Yossi began a remarkable journey for the family that led to the founding of Shalva, the Israel Association for the Care and Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities, a worldwide, a leading organization in the field. Today, Shalva provides therapy, education, and recreation to hundreds of beneficiaries, as well as family support, respite, and advocacy initiatives. Samuels’ memoir, “Dreams Never Dreamed,” was released in Hebrew in September 2019 and in English in May 2020.

February 25

A Culture of Belonging: At the JCC, at Camp, and at Home

Register Here

Host: Steve Engel, camp engagement and executive search consultant, JCC Association
Moderator: Beth Mitchell, director of inclusion and diversity, JCC of Central NJ, Scotch Plains, NJ

This session will feature three presentations:

Taglit—Creating Connections and Meaning at the Tucson JCC: Emily Malin, director of special needs services, Tucson JCC, AZ
Learn about Taglit, a distinct wellness-based program in a highly inclusive environment that offers interactions to strengthen participants’ social skills and develop vocational skills. It also creates volunteer opportunities for members.

Yachad and Avodah: A Camper’s Inspirational Journey of Inclusion
Featuring Jason Luckoff, a Tamarack camper-turned-staff-member; his mom, Nancy Luckoff; and Tamarack’s CEO Lee Trepeck about the commitment and support from the entire camp community that made Jason’s journey possible.

What the Exit Interview With Our Family Revealed: Vickie Schlanger Rubin, disabilities advocate, blogger, and author of the forthcoming book, “Raising Jess: A Story of Hope”
Many wise companies offer employees an exit interview upon their departure, asking about their experiences: How did we do? What would you change? Where did we come up short? Where did we excel? Using this model, Rubin conducts interviews with her young adult offspring and their grandparents about their experiences within the Rubin family. In this session, Mark Horowitz, vice president, program and talent, JCC Association, will interview Rubin about her work and her own interviews.

PROGRAMS HOSTED BY JEWISH FEDERATIONS OF NORTH AMERICA (JFNA)

In addition to our own programming, JCC Association is proud to partner with the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) during JDAIM: Jewish Disability Advocacy Month, which features education, solidarity building, and empowerment in support of people with disabilities. Throughout the month of February learn from thought leaders and experts about advocacy strategies around the current state of disability rights, what we can do to promote best practices in inclusion and supportive care, and how to put the needs and rights of people with disabilities squarely on the policy agenda of the Biden administration and the 117th Congress.
Closed captioning available throughout.