Special Needs and the Jewish Community
About ten years ago I was working for an agency that worked with children and teens (and their parents) who were emotionally disturbed. Some of these children/teens were also intellectually challenged. Three of the children I worked with were from the same family. All three were intellectually challenged as well as emotionally disturbed (their older brother had molested all three of them). I found the work challenging – and at times downright difficult – but I would not have given up that experience for anything. I had always been sensitive about how “average people” reacted to and interacted with people who were not like them (different race, religion, handicap, etc). This job made me even more sensitive to the issue of how the world tends to treat the handicapped amongst us. This has led me over the past few years to wonder how the Jewish world treats those with handicaps. Is the Jewish world any different? If not, why?
While doing some research on the topic, I came across this article (a little dated, but it is still relevant for today). Part of the article explains that there are indeed differences between the Diaspora Jews and the Israelis when it comes to dealing with intellectually challenged individuals. While dealing with the intellectually challenged, it asks some provocative questions that pertain to the Jewish world and its treatment of those with all types of handicaps. How would you answer these questions? Are there other questions/options/opinions come to mind?
*Does this neglect of the disabled by Jews come from the Bible, which in simple words states that to make offerings and prayers, you have to have a perfect body?
*Do we Jews ignore our retarded because we hold learning and study of Torah so high that those who do not seem to be able to partake of this mitzvah are seen as less than Jews?
*Is it because years of persecution have taught Jews that learning and education constitute the major survival techniques that have allowed us to preserve our culture over all of these years?
*Is it because the disabled make us uncomfortable and aware of the fragility of our own health, and the tenuousness of our own lives?
Has anyone had any experiences with this issue in their own community or know of anyone who has had such experiences?
Here are some sources for help:
Aleh
Council for Jews with Special Needs
Jewish Braile Institute
Keshet
Malki Foundation
Planning a Special Bar/Bat Mitzvah
Thanks for this post, rachel-esther. American Jewry has been slow to provide services and programming with Jewish content for disabled children and adults. Perhaps it has to do with the issues described in the questions you cite from the article; perhaps it is that most Jews believe that disabled people need first and foremost the services to help them gain the skills to function in society, and that Jewish content is optional, a bonus, or the icing on the cake. Two programs I know of in New York and the Boston area that provide Jewish programming and services to disabled adults and children were started by families who had children with special needs. Necessity was clearly the mother of invention in those cases.
Overall, I do believe there is a difference between how the Jewish disabled are served in Israel versus America. But even the high quality services available in Israel have not always been around. The first services begun in Israel with Jewish content were begun by haredim who (not surprisingly) placed a higher premium than the rest of Israeli society on having Jewish content for those receiving special services. Now care and programming for those with special needs are more widespread. There are special ganim (nursery schools/kindergartens) for kids with speech disorders and communication disorders (e.g. autism), schools that integrate kids with special needs with typically developing kids, and schools and programs exclusively serving disabled kids, from kids with learning disabilities to kids with genetic disorders like Canavan’s disease. It is an incomparable blessing to live in a place where an affordable Jewish education and programming are available to everyone, where no child is left behind, educationally or Jewishly.
Interesting post. Although in my pre-conversion life I spent nearly a decade working in the fields of Developmental Services and Special Education (much of which included work with Developmentally Delayed individuals,) I don’t have much knowledge about how this issue plays out in the Jewish world be it in Israel or the Diaspora. Having said that I do know that we have a few Autistic children at our shul and they seem to be fairly well integrated into our community.
Also while we are on the subject, I thought some readers might be interested in topic relevant audio by Rabbi Artson who is a member at my shul, the dean at Ziegler and the father of one of the Autistic children I mentioned above. This audio which is titled the “Six Rememberances of Special Needs” can be found here, is an interesting and personal look at the very subject you bring up in this post.
My son is autistic and just became bar mitvzah. It was a spiritually uplifting experience for the entire community. However, my son is high functioning and was able to complete the entire service just like the typical kids do.
I am also aware of a child who is much more severely impaired. He was denied a Jewish education because of his disability. He might (wait for this one) SCARE the other kids with his behavior. I found this absolutely horrifying especially since I am also aware that the UJF and AJL will provide technical assistance so that all Jewish children can receive a Jewish education. Our education committee, however, officially says that in a Jewish religious school parents are PAYING for this education and do not want their children educated with severely disabled children who could hold back a class.
Ludicrous. Of course its okay to have the class constantly interrupted by children who cannot behave or who torment and torture other children…but special children? Get them out of here.
This is partly why I am leaving our community right now. I believe every child deserves a Jewish education. I am aware of a special needs religious school in Pittsburgh (about 30 miles away) but this information is not given to the parents to make choices.
The congregation of which I am speaking is Reform which also surprises me given that they are also aggressively involved with social justice programs.
It makes me incredibly sad to know that there are temples and synagogues out there who are not welcoming and inclusive to students who have special needs. I feel lucky that my temple, and our religious school (at which I am a Hebrew teacher) is so very welcoming to students of all needs. We have a number of students with ADD and other behavioral problems, as well as students with Autism or other development issues. And we make enormous efforts to make sure these children are included at an equal level as every other child; they are not treated differently or viewed as problem children, but rather they are viewed as children who are there to learn about Judaism and to be a part of the community. We make adjustments in schedules, in lesson plans, and in our teaching tactics to make sure that we are reaching everyone, but we never make the children feel like they are problems that need to be solved. I hope that we are not unique in this.
On a personal note, one of my students this past year had autism and fairly severe OCD-related issues. I never viewed him as a problem or just ignored him when he became upset. In fact, he was one of the greatest joys to have in class; he tried every week and expressed such a joy at learning Hebrew that it infected everyone else in the room. The children he has been in class with for 3 years now just look at him as their classmate, not as the “special” kid, and yet at the same time they are incredibly sensitive when he is having a difficult day. It makes me very proud to be a part of that community.
I feel it is our jobs as Jews to work to include EVERYONE of ALL abilities and developmental stages. How are we going to teach our children to treat all people with respect if we don’t model that behavior ourselves?
*Does this neglect of the disabled by Jews come from the Bible, which in simple words states that to make offerings and prayers, you have to have a perfect body?
I like to think that this isn’t “neglect of the disabled” so much as it is understanding. I do not have a perfect body. I am disabled. I cannot imagine making temple sacrifices in my current condition.
As I write this, I think of how many wonderful Shabbatons that Yachad has brought to my shul. This Jewish organization brings disabled youth into our shul and into our community so we can understand their perspectives.
*Is it because the disabled make us uncomfortable and aware of the fragility of our own health, and the tenuousness of our own lives?
I think disabilities do make people uncomfortable. There’s no question of that. We are a reminder that health is a fragile thing and good health is fleeting. My synagogue is not currently accessible in my condition. But to the same token, I haven’t made too much movement to make sure that it is.