by Sierra Weiss
As the end of the year approaches, I begin to think about what programming I want to bring to the JCC Movement for Jewish Disability Awareness, Acceptance, and Inclusion Month (JDAAIM) in February. Annually, JDAAIM offers all those who engage in the work of inclusion at all levels an opportunity to participate in programming about the lived experiences of people with disabilities; gather resources to better include and welcome into our communities people with various differences; and celebrate the role people with disabilities play in our lives and communities. JDAAIM also offers the community a chance to uplift those who stand out as leaders in this important work to bring diverse and engaging opportunities to JCCs and other Jewish organizations.
Every year, I am amazed by the breadth and depth of the programming facilitated by JCCs across the movement and the creative ways JCC inclusion professionals use the month of February to create training for staff members and programming for the community. Programming this year included adaptive yoga at JCC Chicago in Illinois and art exhibits at the Miles Nadal JCC in Toronto, Ontario, and Pozez JCC of Northern Virginia in Fairfax. The Levin JCC in Durham, N.C., hosted a disability resource fair featuring area programs and organizations that support locals with disabilities in all aspects of their everyday life. According to Danny Lightheart, the JCC’s inclusion manager, “The fair was a good opportunity for service providers to network and strengthen referral networks…It felt like a good step in our effort to bring people together and harness the power of our community to support people with disabilities.” These and many other programs held across the movement provided community members with insights and resources that will support the continued work of inclusion at JCCs year round.
I decided to take a slightly different approach to planning JDAAIM programming at JCC Association this year. Rather than host a one-off program to engage JCC professionals in the work of inclusion, I used February to highlight the importance of collaboration and our ongoing efforts, so last week we showcased two meaningful collaborations that will continue to unfold in the year to come.
The first program was a collaboration with my colleagues at the JCC Association Center for Israel Engagement and part of its JCC Israel Academy, which, in the aftermath of October 7, was designed to meet the desire of JCC professionals movement-wide to learn more about Israel. We screened clips from “Fighters,” a three-part Israeli documentary that follows several soldiers wounded in the Israel-Hamas conflict as they undergo physical and emotional rehabilitation at Sheba Hospital in Tel Aviv. The film offers a heart-wrenching perspective on the struggles and resilience of these war heroes and their families and, in the context of inclusion, is an often-overlooked narrative that can guide a discussion of transitions and experiences of those who acquire a disability later in life and learn to adjust to a new norm. As part of our program, a few soldiers shared their stories even more personally with JCC professionals during a Zoom call following the screening. At the Tucson JCC in Arizona, CEO Todd Rockoff invited his entire staff to participate in the program. Afterward, he had this to say: “The Tucson J is deeply committed to working with people with disabilities all year long and, as a Zionist organization, engaging our staff in conversation before and after the call about “Fighters” is core to who we are as an organization. The call helped our staff connect deeply to the struggle and strength of a soldier injured in the war and his point about this being a war for the Jewish people truly resonated with all involved. The Tucson J is grateful to JCC Association and the Israel Academy for making this opportunity available to the field.”
Held during a week that followed the release of several hostages, the collaboration felt especially meaningful and was a powerful way to honor those who are serving to protect the State of Israel and those who have been lost during this conflict. I hope this program will inspire ongoing conversations about the incredible work Israel does to support people with disabilities, whether they are congenital or acquired later in life.
The second collaboration, the JCC Early Childhood Inclusion Peer Community, was announced officially at the inaugural JCC Movement Early Childhood Inclusion Summit in November but was not launched until February, so it could be featured during JDAAIM. It is a part of the ongoing effort between JCC Association’s Inclusion Department and the Sheva Center. Geared for professionals who work in JCC early childhood centers, inclusion departments, or are interested in endeavors that happen at the intersection of early childhood education and inclusion and related areas, the group will meet quarterly, culminating in a second annual Summit in November of this year.
February is one of my favorite months of the year, thanks to the concentration of incredible inclusion programming in JCCs across the continent. This year, February was extra special for me because it included a site visit to the Tucson J. Following a successful three-year pilot of JCC Maccabi Access, an experience for athletes with intellectual and developmental disabilities, the program will become a permanent part of JCC Maccabi when the Tucson JCC hosts JCC Maccabi® and Access this summer. After my visit, I am confident that the event will be amazing, bringing together returning Access athletes—including a local Tucson athlete who has been with us from the first pilot in 2022—along with new athletes and delegations that will be represented for the first time at the Games.
Given the wide array of programs offered in person and virtually, every one of us can find a meaningful way to connect to inclusion during JDAAIM. What’s more, inclusion is a value—and an initiative—that all of us must hold and uplift in everything we do all year long. Let us not focus on inclusion solely in February. Rather, let us commit to make JDAAIM a catalyst for the work we must do together year round.
Learn more about JCC Maccabi® and Access, and let us know if you are interested in participating in Access in Tucson this summer.
Sierra Weiss is the inclusion specialist at JCC Association of North America and director of JCC Maccabi® Access.
Photo courtesy of the Harry and Rose Samson Family JCC, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
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