I’m fairly certain one significant reason is that I work
with pre-teens and teens - and they will not hesitate to call you out for a
lack of authenticity. I actually believe that this is why I have had such great
successes in building relationships with teens – because I have proven my
willingness to walk the walk and not just talk the talk.
This holds true to inclusion. Authenticity is a key element
to ensuring that a community’s inclusive efforts aren’t just words on a page,
but rather an integral part of who they are and all they do.
When asked how it came to be that I would staff a URJ Kesher
Birthright trip to Israel this Winter cycle, I readily share the two reasons:
Ever read an article that just sticks
with you? One that you are thinking about days and maybe even weeks after you
read it?
That’s what the article What Special-Needs Families Wish Their Pastors Knew has been for me. It
immediately and deeply resonated. Of course, I swapped “rabbi” for “pastor”,
but yeah, it might as well have been written for synagogues.
Not all synagogues. Just as you can’t drape
this piece like a blanket across all churches, neither can I make the broad
statement that it would apply to all synagogues.
I think that most of us can readily think of the “big
players” when it comes to identifying the quotes that move us. We call to mind historical
figures such as Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy Jr., Mother Teresa, Ghandi, Martin Luther King Jr., or Nelson Mandela. Or we might name prominent literary figures such as Maya Angelou,
Fred Rogers, Jane Austin, Dr. Seuss, or Anne Frank.
We likely have been inspired by most, if not all, of them,
to be sure. It is easy to apply any of their quotes to whatever aspect of our lives
needs a little push: leadership, education, relationships and yes, even disability
inclusion.
But here’s the thing:
sometimes inspiration comes from an unexpected source.
Sukkot can be the ideal Jewish holiday for disability inclusion. Ok, the truth is that every holiday should be inclusive. But certain
holidays definitely lend themselves more naturally toward being inclusive than others, so I
think we would be wise to learn what we can and apply it across other
situations as we strive to make every holiday inclusive.
What is Sukkot?
“On the fifteenth day of this seventh
month there shall be the Feast of Booths to the Eternal, [to last] seven days.” ~ Leviticus 23:34
Sukkot is a Pilgrimage Festival in
which Jews celebrate the autumn harvest. The Torah identifies the sukkah
(booth) with the temporary dwellings in which the Israelites lived during their
journey through the wilderness to Israel. The mood of Sukkot is joyous. The symbolism
of a successful harvest offers a welcome change of pace from Rosh Hashanah and
Yom Kippur; which were much more solemn days of prayer and introspection.
It's always a thrill to learn that something I have written resonates. Fair Isn't Equal has been used by college professors teaching classes about equality and inclusion. Inclusion is NOT Social Action was cross-posted by the Thinking Person's Guide to Autism. Numerous other posts have been shared on Think Inclusive, Kveller, and ReformJudaism.org, while still others have been republished in newsletters and shared by administrators & school directors with teachers and staff.
That was what I hoped for when I started this blog - that what I write would resonate and help those seeking to make their schools, organizations and communities more inclusive. But I think one of the neatest requests came over the summer. Loretta Boskovic of FACTOregon asked to share my image of The ABC's of Inclusion in a Back-to-School Checklist she was running. Since many of their readers are native Spanish speakers, she also asked permission to recreate the image in Spanish. I am so glad she shared it with me so that I can now share it with all of you!
I hope that this blog has motivated or inspired you to work toward increased inclusion in some way. Please share in the comments below!
If you are interested in republishing any content from this blog, please contact me directly.
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I "met" Emily Ladau online several years ago. I was instantly
impressed by her commitment to self-advocacy. She openly and honestly shares her experiences as a person with a disability with the goal of raising
awareness and pushing forward the agenda of disability rights in American
society. I was so pleased to
learn that Emily had participated in an accessible Birthright trip to Israel,
and it made perfect sense to feature her story as my first guest post. I was flattered when she offered me an opportunity for a “post exchange”. I sought her thoughts for a topic and she
posed the following question: “How did it come to be that you care so deeply
about Judaism and inclusive education?”
Wow. Where do I start?
At the age of seventeen my parents gave me the opportunity
of a lifetime, and it truly was a life-changing experience. I spent six weeks of the summer between my
junior and senior years of high school participating in NFTY (National
Federation of Temple Youth) Urban
Mitzvah Corps, an intense summer program designed to “provide participants
with an authentic opportunity to explore their Jewish identities through the
lens of social justice and tikkun olam (repairing the world).”
Participants choose jobs sites and volunteer for three weeks at a time. I spent
three weeks at Camp
Daisy, a day camp for children with developmental disabilities, and that
was it. I was hooked. My track was set.
Little did I know that my professional life would eventually
come full circle.
After high school I went on to Rutgers University to master
in Psychology while pursuing certifications in both special and elementary
education. I worked for six years in a public school district renowned for its
special education programs and I remained focused as a classroom teacher while
completing a Master’s program in Counseling Psychology.
I left the classroom when my son was born, only to quickly
realize how much I missed it. Not ready to return to full time work, I called
my local synagogue to explore the possibility of substitute teaching. To my surprise, they were seeking a seventh
grade teacher. I immediately conveyed my interest, sharing that I had been a
middle school special education teacher. To this day, I still joke that I could
hear my now colleague drooling over the phone when she heard me say “special
education”.
You see, like many congregations, ours was struggling to
meet the needs of diverse learners. Most professional Jewish educators and
teachers did not have any mandatory training or formal experience with learning
challenges or disabilities (they still don’t – but that’s another story for
another day), and as a result, synagogues were often turning families away.
And so my worlds collided, beautifully. I brought my
experience and expertise in special education to the world of Jewish education,
and discovered that it was a perfect fit.
My personal vision as a Jewish Educator is to ensure that all
children have an equal opportunity to attend a safe, challenging and engaging
program, where they can explore their heritage, form authentic relationships
and live meaningful Jewish lives.
I am so fortunate to be able to share what I have learned
with others. It is an honor that our synagogue’s program and inclusive practice
can serve as a model to others. I take great pride in opportunities to consult with other congregations seeking to do this work. I love leading workshops and training sessions for teachers, teens, clergy and lay leaders to help them to
do what I know is right and just.
Inclusion of individuals with disabilities and Judaism
belong together.
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To be truly
successful, inclusion of individuals with disabilities must be “what we do”. When we lead by example, modeling inclusion within our faith
communities, we let our constituents know that it is our expectation that they
will treat one another with dignity and respect.
Sometimes,
however, that’s not quite enough. Sometimes this belief and commitment doesn't fully move from expectation to good intentions to action. This is when the value of inclusion must be
intentionally taught.
We
are a success-focused society. We strive to do more, earn more, BE more than
those who came before us.
There
is nothing wrong with being driven to find success, especially when it
motivates us in positive ways. But what happens when we get out of balance?
What happens when what we are striving for is impractical or even unattainable?
More importantly, how will we know the difference?
I have a lot of discomfort with traditional systems of behavior
management; especially the ones that hang at the front of the classroom for all to
see. I take one look at these, and I cringe:
Now here’s the thing: images like these are ALL OVER
Pinterest. And who doesn’t love Pinterest? It’s a glorious treasure trove of
inspiration and ideas for just about anything. It has the potential to be any
classroom teacher’s happy place. But let’s be honest, when we see something
that’s been endorsed (in this case re-pinned) thousands of times, it’s seems like an idea we must try. After all, if thousands of people like it, how can it be
bad?
It’s kind of amazing that I have made it almost to the end
of alphabet without feeling stuck; even when some of the topics I have explored
in this series seem so similar to one another. For example, you might think
that I would have struggled to write G
is to Grab Partners after already writing C
is to Collaborate. Or that there would be too much similarity between H
is to Hold High Expectations and E
is to Expect Competence.
Nevertheless, I found myself with so much content that it
was easy to take these posts in a variety of directions. Until now.
I know that when we yearn for more we tune in,
mindfully, to what we may not yet have. And hopefully, we begin to think about
and act upon the ways that we can bring those dreams and goals to fruition.
And there is a distinct difference between yearning for more and never feeling
satisfied. Yearning an push us while a lack of satisfaction may simply
frustrate us.
So I want to take a little turn. I want to hear from YOU.
What are your thoughts about yearning for more when it comes to disability
inclusion? How does it inspire you? How do you use that yearning to propel
forward?
In case you missed it, The ABC's of Inclusion begins here.
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When I first created The ABC’s of Inclusion, you might have thought that "xoxo (generous affection)" was just a filler. (And let’s
be real, it’s tough to find “x” words, especially ones that are appropriate to the theme of inclusion.) Maybe you thought it was
just a logical extension of U is to Unconditionally Love; and it could be. But
I want to go in a different direction.
Our diversity gives us strength; it’s what makes us
interesting and it’s what makes us real. Working hard to ensure that each and
every community celebrates its diversity isn’t easy, but it’s oh so powerful.
As a leader (in a classroom, school, youth group, camp, organization,
etc.)
One of the things that we most want for our children is for
them to become self-advocates. We want them to develop the skills and have the
confidence to speak up and share their needs in meaningful and constructive
ways. So we teach them. We model and we coach and we encourage.
I have said it before and I will say it again – it’s all about relationships.
At the core of a truly inclusive classroom, school, synagogue,
church, camp, or organization are relationships which are built on love,
respect and trust.
I have written about building trust and earning or inspiring trust before. This is significant and not something to be taken lightly. Bringing
intention to each and every interaction we have with others is hard work, but
it is the way that we demonstrate our commitment to open, honest and meaningful
relationships. We must also show kavod
(respect) for one another’s differences and genuinely appreciate that gifts
that each person has to offer.
This is the time of year when teachers are busy setting up
their classrooms and preparing for the new year ahead. The focus is on designing
welcoming spaces and thinking about ways to create a positive learning climate.
In addition to the content preparation, student background and decorations,
teachers need to focus on ways to develop positive, healthy relationships both
with and among their students. These relationships are at their best when they
are built on a foundation of trust.
Noun- firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of
someone or something.
Verb- believe in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of.
Trust
is the foundation for every meaningful relationship. As Martin Buber taught, “human relationships, at their best, involve mutual
knowledge and respect, treating self and others as valuable human beings”.
Trust is a critical building block for successful inclusion.
But
trust is not automatic. The seeds of trust must be planted, grown and cultivated.
Trust must be nourished and allowed to flourish.
For
inclusion to truly thrive we need to build trust between teachers &
students, teachers & parents, parents & administrators and between students.
There is a
quote you may be familiar with (or at least some variation of it):
“Everyone you meet is
fighting a battle you know nothing about.”
This should
be our reminder to pause, to think through our words and our actions. But sadly,
most people are quick to judge. They believe they know situations or people
well enough to be right, and believing one is right has been enough
justification for many.
It’s the
hardest to write and it’s the hardest to do.
Today’s
world is challenging. We are surrounded by negativity every day. Finding the strength
to quell the negativity that surrounds us is no easy task.
And yet,
we must.
What does
the world you want to live in look like?
How does it feel?
How do you
feel as you wake each day, as you go about your work, as you seek joy?
These are
tough questions. I told you, this one is the hardest.
When our focus is on education,
Jewish, special needs or otherwise, we must be mindful of the need for adequate
preparation. We must also recognize that our plans will not always go as
intended and there is no such thing as the “perfect lesson”. In fact, there is no such thing as the “perfect” anything. It’s why we strive to improve and to
grow rather than to reach for something arbitrary that we will never attain. Mistakes
will happen, our responsibility is to appreciate them as opportunities for
reflection and growth rather than letting them become stumbling blocks.
There is
a wonderful little gem of a book that you may not know about. It is called
Soulful Education, written by Aryeh Ben David. And while this is a book primarily
written for Jewish Educators, make no mistake that this is a book that will
speak to ALL educators.
The tagline tells us plenty: “Why imparting knowledge is not enough.”
The
issue, as Ben David sees it, is simple: We need a paradigm shift in our
definition of “successful teaching”. He says, “I believe we need a full-out
paradigm shift: in the way we prepare material, the atmosphere we aim for in
the classroom – and certainly in our expectations of our students and
ourselves…I realized that our goal could be – and should be – about more than
content and pedagogy.”
Honest,
consistent communication is critical for successful inclusion. We need to
listen to one another, really listen. And we need to be forthcoming with all of
the information that can help each individual find success.
This
sounds so logical, right?
A
story:
There was
a boy in my program who was struggling through grade school. He was keeping up
academically, learning all of the skills that we were teaching. He was proficient
in Hebrew, he was reading English above grade level and he could answer most
questions posed by his teachers. But he struggled to make friends and had frequent
mood swings. His parents shared with us a classification of ADHD and we worked
hard to meet his needs. But I suspected there was more to the situation.
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