URJ: 11 Ways to Celebrate Jewish Disability Awareness & Inclusion Month

Content for this post, 11 Ways to Celebrate Jewish Disability Awareness & Inclusion Month in Your Synagogue, is courtesy of Rabbi Edythe Held Mencher, L.C.S.W., at the Union for Reform Judaism.

February is Jewish Disability Awareness and Inclusion Month (JDAIM), a unified initiative to raise disability awareness and support efforts to foster inclusion in Jewish communities worldwide.

Rabbi Edythe Held Mencher, L.C.S.W., offers 11 ways to celebrate JDAIM in your synagogue.

  1. Participate in Jewish Disability Advocacy Day in Washington, D.C., on February 2nd.
  2. State your congregational commitment to inclusion.
  3. Address people with disabilities the way they want to be addressed.
  4. Ensure that all members, including people with disabilities, can contribute to congregational life in meaningful ways.
  5. Rethink accessibility in your congregation.
  6. Plan a special event.
  7. Display clear signage.
  8. Publicize your congregation’s commitment to inclusion.
  9. Provide seating at all congregational events.
  10. Ensure that printed materials are accessible for all congregants.
  11. Invite people with disabilities to speak to your congregation.

How is your congregation putting its commitment to inclusion into action?

For more detailed information about each suggestion above, please visit Rabbi Edythe Held Mencher’s article on the Union for Reform Judaism website.