Our Way Brings Shabbaton for Hard of Hearing to Omaha, 6/17-18

03 Jun 2011

OUR WAY BRINGS SHABBATON FOR THE HEARING IMPAIRED TO BETH ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE IN OMAHA, JUNE 17-18

Our Way | Jewish Disabilities Integration, the Orthodox Union’s division for Jewish deaf and hard of hearing, will be providing the hearing-impaired of the Omaha Jewish community with a one-of a kind Shabbat experience. The program will be held Parshat Shelach — Friday, June 17-Saturday, June 18 at OU member Beth Israel Synagogue, 12604 Pacific Street. Registration is mandatory, and sleeping arrangements are available upon registration.

Our Way has brought its joyous Shabbaton programs to communities all over North America, open to members of the Jewish community from all backgrounds. Materials and prayer services will be provided in American Sign Language and deaf advisors will assist to create a meaningful, traditional Shabbat experience.

The Friday-Saturday event will include three delicious meals and snacks, interpreted services in the synagogue, a beginners minyan, child care, program sessions, and an opportunity to join together with others to live and learn about Judaism. Saturday night culminates with the showing of the popular documentary “Ingelore” about a young deaf girl and her family who escaped the Nazis during World War II. The film will be shown in sign, voice and captions.

Rabbi Eliezer Lederfeind, Director of Our Way, will lead a key session on “How to Pray, What to Say.” Back by popular demand, Rabbi David Kastor, will serve as the Deaf Scholar-in-Residence. He will discuss “The Three Weeks,” in addition to other workshops, and there will be a question and answer session.

Rabbi Kastor graduated from Gallaudet University for the Deaf with a B.A. in Computer Science and married an Israeli deaf woman, Tchia. He received his semicha (rabbinical ordination) from Ner Israel in Baltimore three years ago. He started the Ahavas Israel School for the Deaf in Frederick, MD and taught there for two years. Rabbi Kastor has worked for the OU as a Regional Representative in Maryland for almost 20 years.

Lina Kogan, an Omaha resident of 20 years, will be the Deaf Host of the Shabbaton. Lina briefly attended Gallaudet University for the Deaf, and is continuing her education in Omaha. As a teenager, she first attended an Our Way convention in Baltimore.

To participate, please send a check for $35 payable to Our Way Shabbaton to Our Way C/O Lina Kogan, 5152 N. 169th Street, Omaha, NE 68116. She can be reached at {encode=”mailto:LinaMomASL10@cox.net” title=”LinaMomASL10@cox.net”} or voice/relay phone at 402.682.7144.

Rabbi Lederfeind can be reached at {encode=”mailto:ourway@ou.org” title=”ourway@ou.org”} or by voice/relay phone at 212.613.8234.

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