Inclusion

Inclusion Committee Mission Statement

Young Israel of Sharon is an inclusive shul that aspires to integrate all people who might feel like they are on the margins of the community, in all areas of religious and communal life.

Vision Statement

The inclusion committee will pursue this mission by:  

• Supporting and advocating on behalf of specific members with disabilities to ensure that they receive dignified and respectful treatment within the framework of shul activities
• Educating and training lay leaders, volunteers and staff to create a more welcoming and inclusive shul environment
• Monitoring and evaluating shul programs, policies and decisions with regard to inclusivity and making suggestions to improve inclusion for all shul members
• Organizing and coordinating weekly greeters on Shabbat morning to welcome people at the door and provide guidance as necessary.  
• Establishing mechanisms and procedures for receiving and responding to feedback on issues related to shul inclusion. 

The Young Israel of Sharon is joining with many other Shuls of the Greater Boston area in a Synagogue Inclusion Initiative sponsored by the CJP and the Ruderman Family Foundation intended to help Shuls enhance their accessibility, hospitality and support for those with disabilities.

If you are interested in joining our Inclusion Committee, email info@yisharon.org. As we approach Pesach, we are encouraged to reach out and welcome "all who are needy" to be integral and valued members of our community.

Hag Kasher ve-Sameah,
Rabbi Meir Sendor

Articles and Reference

This Non-Verbal Jewish Teen Wrote a Breathtaking Letter Explaining Autism by Joanna Valente 5/19/2016
Koren and OU Press to Partner With Yachad on Siddur for Special Needs Community By Pearl Markovitz 5/26/2016
Seeing The Person, Not The Disability from the Jewish Week by Gabrielle Kaplan-Mayer 5/23/2016
Defining Inclusion  From Zeh Lezeh (For One Another) by Lisa Friedman posted 3/10/15
Inclusion Initiative in Sharon - Shalom Magazine Chanukah/Winter 2014 posted 12/15/14
Will You Love My Son? From Zeh Lezeh (For One Another) By Rabbi Ilana C. Garber posted 11/21/14
Here's When It's OK To Use The 'R-Word' In 1 Nifty Chart From The Huffington Post. By Eleanor Goldberg. Posted 10/30/15
Parshat Ki Tavo – Inclusion Shabbat 5774 - Rabbi Sendor posted 9/15/14
Zeh Lezeh (For One Another): "Say Yes" By: Lisa Friedman posted 9/9/14
Rabbi Saltzman's Inclusion D'var Torah - Beha'alotcha
Rabbi Sendor's d'var Torah from Parshas Mezora
A Miraculous Bar Mitzvah You Won't Want to Miss by Rabbi Efrem Goldberg
Follow Up to previous article: Autistic teen overcomes challenges to have bar mitzvah

My Experience: Autism And Judaism (New York Jewish Week). By Nadine Silber
Like all human beings my unique personal identity is composed of many facets. I am a woman. I am a mother. I am a daughter and a wife, a Democrat, a citizen of the United States, a writer and a former attorney. I am also an autistic Jew. I am proud to be all of the above. I like who I am. There are times, though, when much to my sadness, it is not easy to be both autistic and Jewish. read more...
 

Autism in the IDF: Meet the Soldiers of Intelligence Unit 9900 (IDF  Blog)
Special intelligence Unit 9900 is dedicated to everything related to geography, including mapping, interpretation of aerial and satellite photographs and space research.  Within this unit there is a small unit of highly qualified soldiers, who have remarkable visual and analytic capabilities. They can detect even the smallest details, undetectable to most people.