CONNECTING STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS TO JEWISH LEARNING
CJE is committed to providing Jewish educational opportunities for the approximately 1 in 6 children with a developmental disability. Through our J.N. Somers Yad Hebrew School for Children with Differing Abilities, we are bringing the richness of Jewish heritage to students with autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, Down Syndrome and other developmental disorders. Classes offer a 1:1 ratio of teachers and volunteers to students.
In 2017, in collaboration with our local partners, we launched the community-wide Day of Awareness conference, providing special needs education training and resources to educators, and practical steps for inclusion of disabled students to synagogues and schools.
How We Meet the Needs of Students with Disabilities:
- Provided students with disabilities in Israel with shared learning opportunities
- Connected people with special needs to larger community at Purim Carnival
- 80 teachers trained in special education techniques
- Taught students with disabilities Jewish heritage, prayer and Hebrew language
80 local teachers are trained each year in special education techniques.
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“He’s learning about his Jewish heritage, certain holidays and prayers, and it brings a lot of joy to his life. It’s been a great blessing for us to have this program because he would not have been able to participate in a traditional program.”
– Rachel Freitag
Son Joshua attends CJE’s Yad classes
