A Yachad Rav for Life: Rabbi Jay Weinstein
Fortunate individuals among us have discovered an addiction that’s actually good for you. Better than chocolate or coffee, once you’ve experienced Yachad, you’re instantly, and healthfully, hooked. It becomes an essential part of your life, your family, and sometimes – your job.
Yachad-smitten since high school, Rabbi Jay Weinstein, rav of the Young Israel of East Brunswick, New Jersey, now has his entire shul community passionately involved and clamoring for more.
During his initial four years of leadership, Rabbi Weinstein instituted a Special Needs committee that has successfully integrated children and teens into myriad shul activities including Shabbat groups, nursery school and, starting this summer, Camp Keshet, the first day camp in the tri-state area with a Yachad program. The community also sponsors several well-attended Yachad events each year, including annual Rayim Yachad Shabbatonim for adults over the age of twenty-six.
“I could give a drashah (sermon) with a message about inclusion, but it’s not the same as experiencing it firsthand,” says Rabbi Weinstein. “Holding a Yachad program in our shul, connecting with Yachad members, benefitting from their appreciation of the world around them, their Yiddishkeit, is a much more powerful way to educate.”
And he should know; that’s precisely what captured him, and kept him coming back to Yachad. As a teen growing up in Miami Beach, he never missed South Florida Yachad chapter’s monthly events. His fervor continued beyond high school. While an undergraduate student at Yeshiva University, he served as chapter coordinator for Rayim Yachad in Brooklyn. While studying for ordination he earned an additional degree, a masters in special education. The summer after college graduation, while serving as a counselor in the Yachad bunk at Camp Morasha, Rabbi Weinstein met his future wife, Sharon, also a counselor. He went on to run the first vocational program designing jobs for older members with special needs at Camp Moshava.
When it came time to find a rabbinical position, Rabbi Weinstein’s attachment to Yachad and commitment to inclusion spoke loudly and clearly on his resume. As assistant rabbi of Shaare Tefillah in Dallas, Texas, with the senior rabbi’s encouragement, he launched a thriving Yachad chapter and served as chapter coordinator. Unsurprisingly, now as the rav of Young Israel of East Brunswick, he also assisted with the opening of a Middlesex County (New Jersey) Yachad chapter which drew 120 participants at the synagogue’s most recent Rayim Yachad Shabbaton this past February.
“It’s an inspiration to watch him at a Shabbaton,” says Melissa Rosen, director of the youth department and Camp Keshet. “He’s so at ease; he engages immediately and joyously. Our adult congregants and their children see that and model it. Inclusion has become part of our culture.”
Rabbi Weinstein and Mrs. Weinstein first met at Camp Morasha.
Debbie Schaulewicz, East Brunswick resident for twenty-eight years and chairperson of the Special Needs Committee, concurs. “So many families volunteered to host Yachad members that we had to turn many of them down,” says Schaulewicz. “Friday night Yachad participants ate at their hosts’ home. On Shabbos afternoon the community ate together with the Yachad members. Rabbi Weinstein wanted everyone to mingle with the Yachad members and advisors. This way, it’s very personal.”
Ensuring that Yachad members feel actively involved in Shabbat services, Rabbi Weinstein sees to it that Yachad members and advisors are given aliyot and encourages them to publicly share divrei Torah (insights based on Torah passages). “The most important thing to Rabbi Weinstein is that they feel welcomed and truly part of the community,” says Schaulewicz. “Participants keep telling us they feel so at home in East Brunswick they can’t wait to come back next year.”
Rabbi Weinstein’s infectious devotion to Yachad continues to touch lives – past, present and future. “When my husband got up to give a drashah at a recent Shabbaton, one of the members shouted, ‘Hey Jay!’ He remembered him as his camp counselor and Rayim Yachad coordinator,” says Sharon. “He values making a difference for others, to include them and make their lives richer. His idea of inclusion is that it’s a lifelong goal.”
The shul’s children are growing up with inclusion as a normal part of life. Mrs. Weinstein reports that her seven-year-old daughter treasures her friendship with a girl with Down syndrome. “Their peers are their peers; there’s no separation in their minds,” says Rosen. “It’s very beautiful to see.”
Apparently, the rabbi’s extensive inclusion efforts are also making a difference in his adult congregants’ lives. “We’re all so much more aware of the special needs population and what we can do to include them,” says Schaulewicz. “We’re more sensitive and open-minded; and we’re better people for it.”
Rabbi Weinstein plans to spread the Yachad riches to other synagogues, to show them how it can uplift an entire kehillah. “It’s our responsibility to make our communities and shuls open to people of all abilities,” he says. He cites Dr. Jeffrey Lichtman, international director of Yachad, whom he calls his personal role model: “Don’t say we can’t do it; give all the reasons why we can.” An exemplary inclusion champion, Rabbi Weinstein never runs out of reasons why he and his community can. 
Bayla Sheva Brenner is a staff writer at the Orthodox Union.
This is an article from Belong Magazine 2014. For more information, or to receive your own copy contact belong@ou.org
Meet a Yachad Family
The Ungar siblings: Adina, Tzvi, Shoshana, Yachad member Sara, and Dani
Meet the Ungar family of Oak Park, Michigan. Leah Ungar, mother of Yachad member Sara, credits Sara’s siblings with encouraging Sara to live a full life.
It wasn’t always easy. Sisters Shoshana and Adina were nine and ten, respectively, when Sara was born. Too young to fully comprehend the impact of her developmental delays, they noticed how much more time Sara required from their parents. “Though we always loved Sara, there were frustrating times that we simply didn’t understand her, that she couldn’t express herself,” reflects Shoshana.
She adds, “At the beginning, understanding Sara was an adjustment, but now it’s routine. We know her needs and what she’s capable of. And as we’ve grown up, it’s less challenging to read my sister. She’s wonderful, adorable – and has a great sense of humor! My brothers adore her, but brothers and sisters deal differently. Over the years, as we have developed as a family and as individuals, there’s still a sense of protection around our sister. We want others to see Sara as we see Sara.”
“We learned a lot about love with Sara,” shares Adina. “And she definitely taught our family to have patience, lots of patience.”
From a young age, Sara’s parents enrolled her at both the local Bais Yaakov and the public school system. That way she could receive the services most beneficial for her various cognitive and social issues, while enjoying an inclusive experience within the Jewish school as much as possible.
About five years ago, Mrs. Ungar read about Yachad summer programs in an article in The Jewish Press and reached out to Nechama Braun, Yachad Summer Programs administrator, about registering Sara for the summer. Though Sara had attended previous camps, her social networks did not hold on.
“I was worried how Sara’s experience would be at a new camp 600 miles away from home, but once we brought her to the camp, we saw how well run the program is, and we knew it would be great,” recalls Mrs. Ungar. “Yachad Morasha is wonderful and my daughter looks forward to camp every year.”
At Morasha, Sara made friends with whom she communicates all year long, including one individual she talks to every day. In fact, one of the highlights of attending a recent Shabbaton in Chicago was being able to reunite with camp friends.
“Sara loves being social and thrives when she is at camp,” smiles her sister Shoshana. “It’s helpful for our parents to know she is happy and excited about her summer plans. And while we make our own plans for activities while she is away, we don’t send her away because we need a respite. We want what’s best for her.”
Since Yachad opened a local chapter last year in Detroit, Sara has become a vibrant participant. The highlight of her week? Hands down, everyone in the family knows that every Thursday Sara looks forward to “Pizza and Parshah.”
Sara’s parents appreciate that the Detroit Yachad chapter programming has presented their daughter with outlets she hasn’t had before. “My daughter has simchas hachayim – a joy for life – and she is always happy to try something new,” says her father, Dr. David Ungar. “At Yachad, she gets together with friends who are so easy to be with, who accept her for who she is. And she picks up on the positivity.”
The family is gratified that now Sara often turns to the phone to speak with her friends. “Yachad has been incredible for my sister, giving her a whole social scene she didn’t have previously,” offers Adina. “Though she has a lot of life to her, sometimes she can get into herself and become withdrawn. Yet around her friends, or when she finds out about a Yachad event, or when she’s counting down to leave for camp, she’s more alive, more in tune.”
“Her happy anticipation toward the next event keeps her engaged with us,” remarks Shoshana. “We can say ‘let’s go shopping,’ ‘let’s talk about it,’ ‘let’s start packing’ because we want to be involved with her. When it comes to preparing for a Yachad event, she will let us do that.”
This winter, Sara travelled to Israel with Yachad and Israel Free Spirit (the Taglit-Birthright Israel program coordinated by the Orthodox Union). “Sara is not always gushy when she talks, but I get tears in my eyes remembering when she first told me ‘Mommy, I love Israel,’” Mrs. Ungar recalls. “She had such a great time! Yachad took her from north to south and all around Jerusalem.” When she returned home from the ten-day trip, Sara was able to relive the experience and share with family members exact memories from a video Yachad staff put together as a memento.
“Birthright and Yachad provided the experience of a lifetime for my daughter,” Leah adds. “I can send Sara without a family member to a Shabbaton, to camp, to Israel – that’s something I could never have done without Yachad. I know that it’s properly run, with guidance by those who are well trained and equipped to handle people with special needs. It’s a priceless gift, not only for Sara, but for our entire family.”
For information on the Detroit chapter of Yachad contact DetroitYachad@ou.org.
Batya Rosner is a staff writer at the Orthodox Union.
This is an article from Belong Magazine 2014. For more information, or to receive your own copy contact belong@ou.org
Yachad Member Blasts Off Into Computer Game Career
Deep in the heart of Texas a star is shining bright, and his name is Aaron Winston. A dedicated Yachad member born and bred in the Lone Star State, Aaron is pursuing a career at the nonPareil Institute, where he works as a staff programmer on various projects released on the iTunes store, or the Google Play store. He is the creator of SpaceApe, a quick, single player game that involves maneuvering a Russian Cosmonaut Ape named Dmitri around outer space; players aim to scoop up bananas while dodging asteroids, comets and aliens.
“Socially, I believe Yachad prepared me for my job at nonPareil, as it gave me confidence in myself,” Aaron, 22, shares. “I have autism and Asperger’s. I didn’t always want friends; but Yachad helped me to understand the importance and benefits of having friends, of having a social network, and that I don’t have to do anything alone.”
Aaron was diagnosed six years ago and participated in Yachad’s Getaway summer program the following summer, at age 17. Yachad Getaway is a two-week retreat where Yachad members and staff create all of their activities and meals. “Yachad Getaway was the first time Aaron spent away from home, yet I felt confident in the program from the questions they asked my son to assess if the program would be a good fit,” recalls his mother Cindy. “It was an eye-opening experience for all of us to see how much he benefitted from independence. He introduced us to his friends. It was amazing to see what he was capable of in the right environment.
“Yachad was such a plus for him! But when we picked him up from that first positive experience of Getaway, we were thinking, ‘now what?’ He’d had a glimpse of what friends were, so it was hard to go back to the solitude that had been ‘normal.’ Until then, he hadn’t realized how small his world was.”
Aaron joined the small Yachad chapter in Dallas, participating in various Shabbatonim and in numerous Yachad summer programs including Yad B’Yad, an inclusive summer trip touring the Jewish homeland. He always looked forward to the next Yachad event. It was at Yachad Summer Program’s Simchaton, a reunion taking place over Simchat Torah, that Aaron learned about Team Yachad. He had already been working with a trainer, so he decided to sign up and added more treadmill time to his exercise regime. 
Mostly fast-walking, he completed the 2011 ING Half-Marathon in Miami as a proud member of Team Yachad. He went on to complete it again the following year.
And the Simchaton was the source of another important discovery. Aaron’s parents learned of the nonPareil Institute in nearby Plano, Texas, which provides technical training and employment to individuals on the autism spectrum.
“ I ha d a l w a y s b e e n interested in video games and was good at school, pretty detail oriented – but I had tried college and found it too overwhelming; I had a lot of anxiety,” Aaron states frankly. “The only pre-requisite for nonPareil is to be on the autism spectrum. I didn’t have real experience in the technology field, but I was willing to apply myself.”
Aaron went through a series of training courses in software development and programming before the company hired him fulltime. “I find working here fun as well as gratifying in many different areas,” Aaron says. “And while I do enjoy programming software, I realize that working here is not entirely about being a programmer – it’s about helping others build skills. One of the strengths of this company is that we employees are not competing against each other.”
Cindy Winston notes, “From the beginning, Aaron was ready and excited to put in a full day at nonPareil. I think a lot of that enthusiasm was from positive experiences he had at Yachad. With Yachad, he felt that he didn’t have to pretend, and once he found that same acceptance at nonPareil, he hit the ground running.”
Aaron agrees that there is something special about working with others on the spectrum. “Not that everyone here is the same, but you can understand what it’s like to be in their shoes,” he says. “I’m not perfect interacting with everyone, but my main goal coming to work every day isn’t just getting my job done. We’re a community, caring about each other. When that’s the main thing, it helps people get along and feel they’re in a safe environment.”
“Aaron has been the very type of person our company needs to be successful,” states Dan Selec, founder and chief executive officer of the nonPareil Institute. “As a student, he invested his time well, and was always reaching for more knowledge and ability than he had the day before. Aaron came into our program with little computer knowledge, but showed himself to be a hardworking and dedicated member of our nonPareil crew. Step by step, Aaron has built himself into a productive part of our organization.”
Aaron can be found at the office 10:00 am to 6:00 pm, though he’s often sighted there early and after-hours. He has numerous responsibilities: as a games and software programmer for the company, he works with a team to create tools for program scripting. SpaceApe took him a month and half to create, working with a team of artists on design concepts and implementation. Smaller games could take less time, according to Aaron.
He also serves as a mentor, spending time daily helping others learn how to learn, building their confidence, and trying to help them achieve personal success. “Aaron has great leadership skills: he is patient and concerned for his teammate’s growth and participation. This may be in helping them with coursework, or by simply being there for them when they need someone to talk to. He also leads group sessions, ranging from coding to design,” Selec confirms.
Aaron credits his involvement with Yachad for building up his self-confidence to be a success socially and to apply himself on the job. That boost of confidence from Yachad carries over into Judaism as well. As a proud Jew, Aaron wears his yarmulke to work every day. He learns Torah every morning with a rabbi before work, a practice he has enjoyed for the past five years. As tzedakah is one of his favorite mitzvot, he’s careful to give ma’aser (tithe) from his salary. In fact, in recent months, as Aaron would sit down to figure out his finances, he has applied his ma’aser money to support the members of Team Yachad.
One mark of his success is that last October Aaron was invited to participate in a panel discussion at Yachad’s High School Leadership Conference, where high school leaders from across the country come together for a weekend of leadership training aimed at helping them enhance the Yachad program in their community. Aaron shared his own story, explaining to the teenagers how his disability actually helped him succeed in securing and keeping his job.
“For me to have a job means that I have a mission in life to do positive things for myself and for others,” Aaron reflects. “Being busy is very good for me, and making money is good, of course. Having a job that pushes me to expand my capabilities is positive, and I find that very fulfilling.” 
For information on the Dallas chapter of Yachad contact DallasYachad@ou.org.
Batya Rosner is a staff writer at the Orthodox Union.
This is an article from Belong Magazine 2014. For more information, or to receive your own copy contact belong@ou.org
An Inclusive Tu Bishvat Seder
An Inclusive Tu Bishvat Seder
By: Daniel Schwartz
A highlight of the year for the entire New England Yachad community is the Tu B’Shevat Seder with K’sharim and Shaarei Tefillah Synagogue, which was held recently in Newton, MA. The Tu B’Shevat Seder ceremony commemorates the new year for trees, which falls on the 15th day of the Jewish month of Shevat. Individuals of all ages with disabilities, their families and the broader Jewish community participated. Congregation Shaarei Tefillah and its rabbi, Benjamin Samuels, have consistently shown eagerness to take initiatives to include people with disabilities into their community. Shaarei also co-sponsored the event and was recently recognized nationally by the Hineinu Initiative as one of the most “Inclusive synagogues in the country.”
Over 130 people attended the Tu B’shevat Seder. Over forty teen ‘peer participants’ also attended the Seder to enjoy the evening alongside their Yachad friends. At Yachad we don’t have “volunteers” because everything we do is inclusive – so our cadre or middle and high school students without disabilities, who attend activities alongside the individuals with disabilities, are called peer participants.
The Seder opened with two activities: working on a community mural with artist Tova Speter and completing a make-and-take arts and crafts project. The tables of the Shaarei Tefillah social hall were adorned with art supplies, make-your-own flower pots, stencils, and ceramic tiles waiting to be decorated. As the Seder participants began to create these bright, nature and/or tree-related projects, the atmosphere was one of friendship. Around the room, people helped each other out with their art, offering Tu B’Shevat inspired ideas for each other’s art projects and socializing. Eventually, the vast majority of people in the room had their own project to take home– either a decorative tile or a flower pot– and each was specific to each participant’s taste, yet united as part of one general theme of Tu B’Shevat and renewal.
Yachad tu bishvat
Perhaps most impressively, the girls of The Binah School in Sharon, MA led an array of activities. First, these motivated students publicized their recent projects in school that were part of a Binah School unit that focused on inclusion. Then, the Binah School invited the seder participants, table by table, outside into the synagogue’s atrium to contribute to their mural. The mural created by the Binah school and Tova Speter is traveling in pieces to disabilities groups and programs from across Greater Boston in addition to Yachad and K’sharim and is set to be the first public mural on display in the town of Sharon. The mural represents values of community and sharing. Every participant who wished to contribute had an opportunity to draw his or her own design in an individual portion of the mural. This activity was a great builder of self-esteem for all, especially the artistically talented Seder participants. (Unfortunately, I do not fit into this category!)
The Tu B’Shevat Seder continued with eating fruits and nuts of all kinds- from papaya to mango, kiwi to apricots, carob to cashews. The goal was to commemorate the new year for the trees and celebrate what they bring forth.
This year’s Tu B’Shevat seder was fun, inspirational, and unifying for our communities. We hope we can reach even higher heights in Seders to come!
Daniel Schwartz is a senior at The Maimonides School in Brookline. Among his many other hobbies and interests, which include baseball, acting, and Jewish learning, he has been involved for the past three years in New England Yachad. Daniel writes, “Our local Yachad club began as a small group of Maimo students who would go together to events within the Jewish community with a handful of people with disabilities. It remained small for many years. After a few of us attended Yachad’s National Leadership Shabbaton 2 years ago, we became committed to helping transform our Yachad chapter. Our commitment to doing more programs with individuals with disabilities received a huge boost with the support of Liz Offen, an inclusion expert, hired as the Director of New England Yachad. In a short time, our chapter grew to more than 250 participants– students and adults, people with and without disabilities, within the broader Jewish community.” Contact New England Yachad at NewEnglandYachad@ou.org
Camp Moshava Malibu
This summer, Yachad will introduce a new program at Camp Moshava Malibu at the Shalom Institute Campgrounds in Malibu, CA, to bring a summer of fun and Inclusion for all in a summer camp setting.
Campers will be between the ages of 8-16. Each Yachad camper will be accompanied by a shadow throughout the camp season. The shadows and program director of the Yachad program in Moshava Malibu will be hired and trained by Yachad and will serve as full members of the Moshava team. The Yachad program at Moshava Malibu will provide supervision for each child on his or her own unique level.
“Yachad,” the flagship program of the Orthodox Union’s National Jewish Council for Disabilities (NCJD), provides unique social, educational and recreational programs for individuals with learning, developmental and physical disabilities with the goal of their Inclusion in the total life of the Jewish community.
Camp Moshava Malibu, entering its second year, operates under the umbrella of Bnei Akiva, the religious Zionist youth movement of inspiring and empowering the Jewish youth of North America with a deep commitment to Am Yisrael, Eretz Yisrael, and Torat Yisrael. The camp’s duration will expand this year to eighteen days from two weeks last year. Moshava Malibu is the fourth Bnei Akiva-affiliated camp to join forces with Yachad, along with Camp Moshava Indian Orchard (IO) in Pennsylvania; Moshava Ba’ir in New Jersey; and Moshava Ba’ir in Toronto.
“This new program continues our strong relationship with Bnei Akiva,” Dr. Joe Goldfarb, director of summer programs at Yachad, said. “From the time that Moshava Malibu began preparations for the camp, Rabbi Kenneth Pollack, the camp director, has been in touch with us, because they could not imagine having a camp without including children with special needs. Their first year was a tremendous success and we are looking forward to campers with special needs enjoying the fun and exciting Israel-centered programs that are being offered.”
Rabbi Pollack shared: “I am very excited about this new partnership. Bringing Yachad into our Moshava setting is the perfect blend of professionalism and maintaining the Moshava brand, which is very important. Working with people who know how our model works is very important to me. Additionally, the Inclusion model that we are going to be working with will not only benefit our special needs campers, but will add to the overall environment that we hope to create in camp.”
According to Orit Faguet, director of Yachad Los Angeles, “Yachad promotes an atmosphere of inclusion, simultaneously helping to integrate those with special needs in our community and improving the sensitivity of those without special needs who participate in our programs. We hope to bring that same spirit of inclusion and sensitivity to Moshava Malibu and provide a great camp experience for our members with special needs here in the Los Angeles area.”
The campus includes an Olympic-sized swimming pool, high-and-low-element rope courses, an organic farm, an Israel discovery center and garden, sports and archery fields, a climbing wall, animal education center, dining hall and health center, outdoor amphitheaters, campfire areas and outdoor fireplace, arts and crafts pavilion, hiking trails directly to the beach, and waterfalls. Daily shiurim (learning sessions) will be filled with interactive activities that educate campers about Hakamat Hamedina (the establishment of the State of Israel) – the camp’s planned theme for this summer.
For further information please contact Nechama Braun at yachadsummer@ou.org or 212.613.8368 or visit yachad.org/summerprograms. For questions and registration, please email office@moshavamalibu.org, or call its toll free number 855-MOSHAVA. Office hours are 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. PST. The year-round office is located at Bnei Akiva of Los Angeles, 9030 West Olympic Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA 90211.
Yachad Joins Forces with Keshet Day Camp at Young Israel of East Brunswick
For this upcoming summer 2014, Yachad will be introducing a new program at Camp Keshet at the Young Israel of East Brunswick to bring a summer of fun for all in a day camp setting.
“Yachad,” the flagship program of the Orthodox Union’s National Jewish Council for Disabilities (NCJD), provides unique social, educational and recreational programs for individuals with learning, developmental and physical disabilities with the goal of their Inclusion in the total life of the Jewish community. In addition to Camp Keshet, Yachad runs inclusive summer programs for individuals of all ages across the United States and in Israel.
“First and foremost we want the kids to have fun,” said Dr. Joe Goldfarb, Director of Yachad Summer Programs. “We want parents to be able to send ALL their children with and without disabilities to the same local day camp, and we feel the goal is for the children to learn social skills with the ultimate goal of Inclusion. This is the first year that we have started a Yachad program in the Middlesex region and we are very excited about it.”
“At Camp Keshet,” Dr. Goldfarb said, “children will enjoy a fantastic summer filled with great friends, encouraging and supportive staff, and exciting challenges, all within camp days filled with lessons on Jewish values, Hebrew words and love of Israel.”
The program, which runs from first through eighth grade, will have Yachad campers accompanied by trained staff shadows learning social skills and joining mainstream campers in daily activities. These include twice-daily swim, sports, electives, chinuch (learning), education about Israel, trips, and much more. Hot lunches will be provided. Busing options will be available in surrounding areas.
“We always individualize the program to allow for as much Inclusion as possible,” explained Dr. Goldfarb.
Says Melissa Rosen, Director of Camp Keshet, “We are excited by this new partnership with Yachad. Given the Young Israel of East Brunswick’s already strong partnership with Yachad, to include our summer camp was a natural fit. The opportunity to meet the needs of special campers, to provide them with a challenging and exciting Jewish summer experience, benefits our entire Camp Keshet community. We are proud to welcome Yachad into that community and look forward to a summer filled with smiles!”
For more information, contact Nechama Braun at yachadsummer@ou.org or 212.613.8368 or visit yachad.org/summerprograms.
Chani Herrmann, Director of NJ Yachad, to Also Be Director of Camp Mesorah Yachad
Chani Herrmann
When Chani Herrmann was eight years old, she began a 10-year run at Camp Hillel in Swan Lake New York, seven years as a camper and three on staff. Now, years later, having established herself as a wife, mother of four and a well-respected professional with Yachad, the Orthodox Union’s agency for those with disabilities, Chani returns to her roots to become program director for Yachad at Camp Mesorah in upstate Guilford, NY.
Camp Mesorah is one of the many camps – both sleepaway and day camps — in which Yachad members are mainstreamed into the camp program, either as campers or staff members. They are assisted by shadows for the campers and job coaches for the vocational staff. Chani will oversee all aspects of their program from working with the campers, staff members, shadows and coaches, to coordinating with the many parts of the camp. At present Chani, who has earned the social work degree of LMSW, is Director of New Jersey Yachad. She is performing her responsibilities for both positions simultaneously, and will move to the camp with her family (with her husband coming on weekends) during the summer.
“I’ve always been excited about Yachad summer programs, and many New Jersey kids go there,” Mrs. Herrmann says.
“Yachad,” the flagship program of the Orthodox Union’s National Jewish Council for Disabilities (NJCD), provides unique social, educational and recreational programs for individuals with learning, developmental and physical disabilities with the goal of their Inclusion in the total life of the Jewish community.
Campers will range from 8-16 and vocational staff from 21-35. Those who will work with them are hired from 12th grade graduates and up. The camp season begins June 26 with staff orientation, with the first session opening on June 30 followed by the second session on July 28. Camp ends on August 18. This will be Yachad’s fourth summer at Camp Mesorah, with enrollment increasing every year.
Chani responded to a request from Dr. Jeffrey Lichtman, International Director of Yachad, to take on the summer position. As Dr. Lichtman explained,” With over 20 summer programs, as the largest provider of Inclusive and special needs summer programs, it is vital that we have the best professionals leading these programs. Given our continuous and sky-rocketing growth we need to employ our best staff to do ‘double duty.’ As a dynamic and highly competent professional Chani fits the bill, and given the importance of our expanding program at Mesorah, there are few people better suited to well-manage the many aspects of the complex program at the camp.”
Dr. Joe Goldfarb, Yachad Director of Summer Programs, hailed the Yachad/Camp Mesorah partnership. “Camp Mesorah has been and continues to be a great partner with Yachad. They are dedicated to the value of including individuals with disabilities in all parts of the camp. We look forward to continuing our growth at Mesorah with Chani Herrmann at the helm.”
Rabbi Ari Katz, Director of Camp Mesorah, looks forward to another summer with a Yachad delegation at camp. “Yachad has always played an integral role in the Camp Mesorah family and experience,” he said. “Yachad was the first to establish an integrated program and year after year, Mesorah campers and staff request Yachad campers to join them in their bunks. Our greatest joy is to see the lifetime friendships established each summer and the s’machot (celebrations) that are shared within and out of our camp.”
Chani Herrmann will play a direct role in encouraging those friendships and celebrations.
“I’ll be overseeing everything related to Yachad and Mesorah, both the adult vocational program and the shadow program,” Chani says. The shadows are hired on the basis of one per child, and both sleep in a mainstream bunk, with one Yachad member and shadow per bunk. The children take part in the regular camp program, although as Mrs. Herrmann explains, extra enrichment can be provided as well to help the child adjust and develop. “I will be actively involved with every child and staff member, speaking with the parents, interacting with all the Camp Mesorah staff, addressing challenges, planning, sensitizing them, making sure that everything is as inclusive as possible.”
A typical Yachad day will be “just like for any other camper — sports, learning, arts & crafts, night activities, but with extra support. It is very individualized. If a child needs extra time away from the bunk, we can accommodate that,” she explains. Put another way, as Dr. Lichtman says, “Chani and her team together with Mesorah will provide a one of a kind camping experience that provides fun and friendship for everyone!”
There are still a few openings for this summer. For information or to register, go to yachadsummer@ou.org or call 212-613-8369.
Fortunate individuals among us have discovered an addiction that’s actually good for you. Better than chocolate or coffee, once you’ve experienced Yachad, you’re instantly, and healthfully, hooked. It becomes an essential part of your life, your family, and sometimes – your job.
