This Winter I lead my first Birthright trip. I say first, because I have every intention of leading another! I mentioned my motivations here and was not at all shy about sharing that I had the "ulterior motive" of learning how we (the Reform Movement) might offer accessible and inclusive trips. With first-hand knowledge and experience behind me, I can say with certainly that this will be no easy task. BUT IT IS NECESSARY. It is important.
And that is why this post has not lost its relevance. It is a reminder of what is possible and it inspires me to keep the goals of inclusion close every day.
I am thrilled to introduce my first guest, Emily Ladau. Emily is a passionate
self-advocate who graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in English
from Adelphi University on Long Island, New York, where she was born and
raised. Emily blogs at Words
I Wheel By where she writes about her experiences as a disabled
20-something and explores disability rights issues. She loves connecting with
people, and invites you to like Words I Wheel By on Facebook and
follow her on Twitter @emily_ladau
I can still clearly recall that six-year-old Emily was less than pleased to learn she’d be staying behind in America while my cousins became B’not Mitzvah on top of Masada, an ancient desert fortress in Israel. Because I was born with a physical disability called Larsen syndrome, which my mother has as well, international travel just didn’t seem to be a practical option. Though my parents brought Judaism into our lives through attending Friday night services, celebrating holidays, and getting involved with our synagogue community, I always assumed that the chance to connect with my Jewish roots in Israel was simply out of the question. I thought it was a part of Jewish culture that would remain forever inaccessible to me.
Then, one fateful day during
the summer of 2010, I happened upon something on-line that completely changed
this perspective. On the screen in front of me was a Facebook photo album of
people with whom I attended a summer camp for the physically disabled on a trip
to Israel. In a tizzy of hopefulness, I did some research and discovered that
an organization called Routes Travel – Amazing Israel had developed an
accessible trip to Israel. This program is sponsored through the Birthright
Israel Foundation; which provides 10-day trips to Israel for young Jewish
adults to learn more about their roots and heritage.
I barreled into my living
room to talk to my parents and declared I wanted to apply, too. In a few short
months, I was accepted for a spot on the June 2011 trip, aptly named No Limits
– In Motion. I was thrilled! While I eagerly prepared and reassured my parents
that I would be just fine traveling 6,000 miles overseas, I realized that I was
about to have an experience that I once thought would never happen.
As part of the accessibility
of the trip, each participant was allowed to bring someone to help out. So, I
chose to have my cousin, Heather, come along for the adventure. And it was,
indeed, an adventure every single day. Shortly after recovering from jet lag,
we went rappelling down Mt. Gilboa. Never in my wildest dreams could I have
seen myself hanging off the side of a beautiful mountain in the middle of
Israel. With the guidance of a volunteer from the Israeli Defense Force, I held
on to the rope and prayed to make it safely to the bottom of the cliff. Let me tell you, if ever there was a time to
feel connected to the power of prayer, that was it. Oh and the wine tasting in
the Golan Heights that morning probably didn’t hurt my courage either!
Each moment of the trip, I
felt like I was conquering mountains both literally and metaphorically. For
anyone who ever thought my disability could hold me back, I wished they could
have seen me rafting in the Jordan River, sailing on the Mediterranean Sea, and
floating in the Dead Sea – all of which were some of the most exhilarating
things I’ve ever done. But perhaps the two most poignant moments for me were
experiences that connected Judaism and disability like never before.
Did you know the Western Wall
is wheelchair accessible? Neither did I, until I rolled my wheelchair right up
to the holiest Jewish site in the world. I placed a slip of paper with my
prayers in the Wall, as is customary, and held my hands up to the stone,
praying and meditating on the power of the moment. My pride in my religion had
never been so alive.
As deeply connected to
Judaism as I felt while facing the Western Wall, there is one other experience
I had that meant so much to me that I almost cannot put it into words. Near the
end of the trip, my group ascended to the top of Masada on a cable car. We
explored the ruins and took in the most breathtaking views I have ever seen.
Then we came to a spot that my cousin said looked familiar – it was the ruin
where she became a Bat Mitzvah so many years earlier. Within that ruin, another
Bat Mitzvah ceremony was taking place, and Heather and I heard singing as the
family joyfully concluded the service. Everything had come full circle. Here I
was, in a place I had once longed to be, filled with pride and the deepest love
of Judaism I’d ever known.
Now, I can’t say every place
we visited was 100% accessible, or even 50% accessible, but then again, that
definitely can’t be said about America either. While there is progress that
must be made towards accessibility and inclusion on a global level, Birthright
Israel’s No Limits – In Motion trip should serve as an ultimate role model for
the amazing things that can happen when accessibility and accommodations become
a priority. The trip was filled with so much joy, so many humbling learning
experiences, and so many memories that I will never forget.
Most importantly, staring out
at the Dead Sea from Masada was a turning point for me; Judaism and disability
came together like two pieces of a puzzle for me. The fact that the Birthright
Israel Foundation supported creation of a program specifically for people with
disabilities, and the fact that I was welcomed to Israel with open arms just as
my non-disabled peers, sent a message I’ll treasure forever: We want you here.
You are just as much a part of the Jewish community as anyone else. You, like
all other Jewish people, belong.
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