Faith and Spirituality

Los Angeles, July 2 – Benjamin Rosloff, a talented filmmaker on the Autism spectrum who served as a Jewish Inclusion Fellow in RespectAbility’s National Leadership Program, has created an unprecedented short documentary film that is a compilation of his one-on-one interviews with Jews with disabilities. The short film features deep insights and fabulous emotions as people answer the very personal question, “What do you pray for?”

“What Do You Pray For?” is both a short documentary film and mini-series of short interviews of Jews with disabilities who tell viewers in their own words what they pray for and what prayer means to them. The project features Jews with various disabilities from across the United States, with a myriad of different connections to their Jewish identity. [continue reading…]

“The Women’s Rabbinic Network (WRN) is a constituent group of the Central Conference of American Rabbis (CCAR). It was created in 1975 by a group of female rabbinic students to provide the support and advocacy needed in the early years of women in the Reform rabbinate. Since then, the organization has grown to include over 700 women reform rabbis who have been ordained since 1972 at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. The WRN has consistently worked to promote the personal and professional growth of female rabbis and rabbinic students within the Reform Movement. Women Rabbis have had a profound impact on the world Jewish community. We have contributed to the growth of feminist biblical commentary and midrash, and have paved the path for ritual innovation and creativity. As rabbis in congregations, in Hillels, as chaplains in geriatric and hospital settings, as educators, teachers, healers, professors and poets, we are all making a significant contribution to our community.”

“At Gateways, we believe that every Jewish child deserves access to Jewish education and community. Gateways provides high quality special education services, expertise and support to enable students with diverse learning needs to participate meaningfully in Jewish life and learning. Now in our second decade, we serve individuals, families, educators, day and congregational schools, preschools, synagogues, and organizations to promote the meaningful inclusion of individuals of all abilities in Jewish life. We exist to fulfill young people’s potential, enrich family life, strengthen Greater Boston’s Jewish community, and help create new norms for diversity and inclusivity in the Jewish community at large.”

Emily Borses

Emily Borses is a 21-year-old aspiring filmmaker based in Los Angeles who is also part of RespectAbility’s Speaking and Training Bureau. Emily’s family is very artsy, especially her dad. When she was growing up, he introduced her to 60’s-era punk rock music like Led Zeppelin, Heart, ZZ Top, and The Foo Fighters. She also developed an appreciation for writing, poetry, and photography, all of which are essential components of film! It wasn’t until Emily was watching the film Juno with her dad, and deeply analyzing the way Elliot Page portrayed his character, that her dad pointed out that she would be great at filmmaking and analysis.

Even as she was discovering her artistic passion, Emily was living with an anxiety disorder that was not diagnosed until her junior year of high school. Looking retrospectively at her childhood in light of the diagnosis, she realized that film has really been a key component to her recovery and a coping skill for her anxiety. [continue reading…]

When I was five years old, I was diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP).

The disease runs in my family and causes me to lose my peripheral vision progressively over time. It’s now like looking through a tiny straw. RP also causes me to have night blindness and severe sensitivity to light.

Despite knowing about the severity of my blindness, I refused to advocate for myself and use my cane for twenty-four years of my life. The most challenging part was not the disability itself, but the mental and emotional trauma that came along with it.

So how did I get to a place of self-love and acceptance? [continue reading…]

JQ International, a frequent cosponsor of RespectAbility webinars, celebrates the lives of LGBTQ+ Jews and their allies by transforming Jewish communities and ensuring inclusion through education, support, and identity-enriching events. From Shabbat dinners to holiday gatherings to educational panels to inclusion training for institutions, JQ’s community engagement, educational programs and support services promote the healthy integration of LGBTQ+ and Jewish identities. JQ envisions a world where all LGBTQ+ Jews feel a strong sense of self, pride, and community – a place where LGBTQ+ Jews and their allies are supported by those that embrace their needs and celebrate their unique gifts.

What does resilience mean to you? Depending on where you are in life as well as your responsibilities and challenges, you might define resilience in different ways.

Maybe it’s about staying flexible in mind and spirit. Maybe it’s about working through whatever anger or frustrations you hold within so you can find that happiness that eludes you. Maybe it’s about that determination and creativity that will help you live the life you want and deserve to enjoy.

Resilience as well as flexibility, are ideas we keep close to our hearts and minds at Shutaf Inclusion Programs in Jerusalem. We’re a year-round program that offers inclusive informal education programs for children, teens and young adults of all abilities, regardless of labels, financial limitations, cultural and religious differences. [continue reading…]

Ramah is the camping arm of Conservative Judaism. The mission of the Ramah Camping Movement is to create and sustain excellent summer camps and Israel programs that inspire commitment to Jewish life, and develop the next generation of Jewish leaders. At Ramah, thousands of children, teens, and young adults come together each summer in communities that nurture social, educational, physical, and spiritual growth, creating lifelong friendships, a love for Israel, and a strong Jewish identity.

Since the first Ramah Tikvah program opened in 1970, the Ramah Camping Movement has been a pioneer in the inclusion of Jewish campers with disabilities. The Tikvah Program, now operating in all Ramah camps across North America, meaningfully and seamlessly includes Jewish children, teens, and young adults with a wide range of developmental, intellectual, physical, social, and emotional disabilities in all aspects of camp life—including prayer services, singing, dancing, swimming, arts, camping trips, electives and more.  Camps also offer vocational training and employment for young adults with disabilities.  Tikvah’s full participation in camp continues to lead to meaningful friendships, a sense of belonging and a greater appreciation for all of God’s creations.

Short film series explores the intersection of disability and prayer in the Jewish community

Los Angeles, May 17, 2021 – Matan Koch, the Vice President for Workforce, Leadership, and Faith Programs at RespectAbility who is a wheelchair user, stars in his own segment of “What Do You Pray For?” The film was made by Ben Rosloff, a talented emerging filmmaker on the Autism spectrum who serves as a Jewish Inclusion Fellow in RespectAbility’s National Leadership Program. [continue reading…]