Life Lessons In The Lunchline

Posted: Mon, 05/20/2013 - 13:09 | Posted by: Lisa Friedman | The New Normal

Rabbi Chanina taught, "I have learned much from my teachers. I have learned more from my colleagues than my teachers. But I have learned more from my students than from all of them." (Babylonian Talmud, Taanit, 7a)

Turning You Into We: I, Too, Have A Disability

Posted: Fri, 05/17/2013 - 10:12 | Posted by: Helen Chernikoff | The New Normal

Sometimes a leader is a person with a title and a desk at an organization. Other times they do something truly remarkable. They set an example.

Mother's Day: The Fantasy And The Reality, With Autism

Posted: Wed, 05/15/2013 - 15:45 | Posted by: Rabbi Rebecca Schorr | The New Normal

I wonder what Mother’s Day is like in other families. The ones without kids on the autism spectrum.

At Disabilities Conference, French-Israeli Paralympian Charms And Inspires

Posted: Tue, 05/14/2013 - 15:35 | Posted by: Helen Chernikoff | The New Normal

Athlete and filmmaker Pascale Bercovitch made a somewhat unusual entrance when she delivered her speech at last week’s ADVANCE conference, a gathering for Jewish philanthropists interested in disability programs and services.
Because she has no legs, Bercovitch, 45, wheeled herself to the front of the room, in an event space in Soho. But because her arms and abdominal muscles are stronger than those of most people who do have legs, from her wheelchair she easily hoisted herself onto a tall chair, where she wriggled a few times to settle herself comfortably, grinning at her audience the entire time.

Elsewhere On The Web: URJ Working For More Special Needs Camping Funding

Posted: Mon, 05/13/2013 - 12:12 | Posted by: Helen Chernikoff | The New Normal

On the eJewishPhilanthropy website, the Union for Reform Judaism's camping arm responded to The Foundation for Jewish Camp's release of its study "Jewish Camp for Children with Disabilities and Special Needs." Click here for the rest of the article, including the movement's committment to put more "human and financial resources" toward special needs programming.

The Foundation for Jewish Camp released preliminary findings last week from their recent research study Jewish Camp for Children with Disabilities and Special Needs, which maps current, potential, and desired camp program opportunities for children with disabilities/special needs. The study paints an encouraging picture of the field of Jewish camping, highlighting a variety of models that successfully provide meaningful Jewish camp experiences to children with diverse needs.