Our Way, the Orthodox Union’s division for Jewish deaf and hard of hearing, will visit Pikesville for a one-of-a kind Shabbat experience for deaf and members of their families. The program will take place at Suburban Orthodox Congregation from Friday, November 1-Saturday night, November 2 (Shabbat Parshat Toldot). The synagogue is located at 7504 Seven Mile Lane. Registration is mandatory, and sleeping arrangements are available upon registration. Reservations are due by Wednesday, October 23.
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 Shabbaton will include three delicious traditional Shabbat meals; interpreted services in the synagogue; Torah sessions by Deaf leaders; a Beginner’s minyan program sessions, and an opportunity to join together with others to live and learn about Judaism. Saturday night culminates with a family social event.
Rabbi David Kastor will serve as the Deaf Torah Scholar. He will present a session (verbal and in ASL) entitled, “Wishing Wells?” and will lead the Interpreted Torah reading on Shabbat morning. Lectures and discussions will be led by Rabbi Eliezer Lederfeind, director of Our Way, who will discuss “How to Pray: What to Say”; David Michalowski, who will talk about “Spiritual Relationships: Passive Versus Proactive”; and Arkady Belozovsky, who will be delivering “Words to Inspire.”
Rabbi Kastor graduated from Gallaudet University for the Deaf with a B.A. in Computer Science and is married to an Israeli deaf woman, Tchia. He received his semicha (rabbinical ordination) from Ner Israel in Baltimore. He started the Ahavas Israel School for the Deaf in Frederick and taught there for two years. Rabbi Kastor has worked for the OU as a Regional Representative in Maryland more than 25 years.
Shlomo Nusbaum will serve as the communal Deaf Co-Host together with Leah and Louis Caplan. A Baltimore native, Mr. Nusbaum graduated from Rockville High School in in 1988 and served as a former president of the Cardinals of the Deaf Organization in CCBC (Community College Baltimore County), Catonsville. Twice, he received the S.G.A. (Student Government Association) Honorary President’s Award from 1997-1999. Mr. Nusbaum is currently working at Seven Mile Market in Baltimore, a kosher supermarket and has been there for 22 years.
Mrs. Caplan grew up in the Boro Park section of Brooklyn, NY. Mr. Caplan grew up near New Haven, CT. After he graduated from the Rochester Institute of Technology, Mr. Caplan accepted a job with the US government, and moved to Virginia. The two met at the 1996 Jewish Deaf Conference in Chicago. They married and lived in Fairfax, VA for nine years. Louis and Leah hosted two Our Way Shabbatonim in Fairfax. They now reside with their children in Baltimore.
To participate, please send a check for $38 per person, payable to Our Way Shabbaton to Our Way C/O Shlomo Nusbaum 6108 Gist Avenue Apt 2, Baltimore, MD 21208. For further information, contact him via voice/relay phone 443.983.3148 or email{encode=”snusbaum13@gmail.com” title=” snusbaum13@gmail.com”}. Discounts for families and scholarships are available.
For further information about Our Way programming, contact Rabbi Lederfeind at {encode=”ourway@ou.org” title=”ourway@ou.org”} or by voice/relay phone at 212.613.8234.