Blog - Page 14 of 18

Yachad of the North Shore Joins Individuals with Disabilities and their Families

Since its launch in March, Yachad of the North Shore, a chapter of New England Yachad, has attracted more than 50 families to its inclusive social and recreational activities for individuals with disabilities of all ages, offering a lifeline for North Shore families. According to Swampscott’s Alison Licker, Yachad’s outings and drumming circle have enabled […]

“Maybe We Should Teach the Way They Learn” Yachad Veterans Day Conference in NYC

“Train a child according to his way” (Proverbs 22:6) is a Biblical aphorism summing up the feeling of many parents and educators. Inspired by this ever-enlightening teaching from King Solomon, theOrthodox Union’s Yachad/National Jewish Council for Disabilitiesand The International Jewish Resource Center for Inclusion and Special Education will present, “”Maybe We Should Teach the Way […]

Torontian celebrates special needs bar mitzvah at kabbalistic shul

Toronto’s Josh Kadysiewicz, a 26-year-old with global developmental delay, celebrated his bar mitzvah last week at the historic Beirav Synagogue here, one of the 19th century places of kabbalistic worship in this historic centre of Jewish mysticism. For the 12 Canadian and five American participants aged 18 to 26 in the Taglit-Birthright/Yachad the National Jewish […]

Special needs Birthright tours Israel

Despite the ongoing rocket fire on targets throughout the country, Yachad, Israel Free Spirit and other organizations brought seventeen disabled teenagers to Israel on a special Taglit-Birthright Israel trip in which they will celebrate a joint Bar Mitzvah.According to organizers, such trips require “additional resources, with fewer participants per bus, a higher staff-to-participant ratio, and […]

Yad B’Yad 2014: Inclusion and Friendship Know No Borders

In one week, the staff of Yachad was able to accomplish what normally takes months of planning. When recent events in Israel rerouted summer plans to the West Coast for 190 Yad B’Yad participants, the message was loud and clear that inclusion and friendship know no borders. Hebrew for “hand in hand,” Yad B’Yad (YBY) is one of Yachad’s […]

A matter of inclusion

Besides having fun at “Summer on the Hill” held at the Jewish Community Center of the North Shore in Marblehead, campers and counselors alike are learning important lessons about inclusion. Swampscott resident Melissa Caplan is directing a pilot of the new inclusion camp there which has attracted 21 campers and five staff members with physical, […]

My Guiding Light

Hi! My name is Jonathan Spiller and I am a member of New England Yachad. Yachad makes me happy to be who I am and has given me so many great friends who support me all the time. A lot of my friends are high school students, but no one cares about my age. I have formed strong bonds with my […]

Bringing Yachad Programming Back to School

We signed up for Yad B’ Yad, Yachad’s Israel travel program for teens with and without disabilities, not knowing what to expect. It turned out to be a life-changing experience that inspired us to get further involved in Yachad. We had made long-lasting friendships and learned the importance of inclusion and of incorporating that mentality […]

Our Way Gemach: Changing Lives One Hearing Aid at a Time

Imagine a child with a severe hearing loss being told that she can use a hearing aid while in school, but that when she goes home she must leave it in the classroom! For the rest of the day, she will not hear.” Audiologist Batya Jacob, director of Educational Services at Yachad, cringes in frustration […]

Broadening Our Scope- Yachad's Professional Conferences Share Expertise

For thirty years, Yachad has been advocating for the inclusion of those with disabilities within the Jewish community. In recent years, however, the organization has been able to reach beyond our immediate Jewish circles, sharing the experience and expertise of its professional staff with the general community. “As part of the wider disabilities professionals’ community […]