OUR WAY WELCOMES JEWISH DEAF TO BOCA RATON FOR OU SHABBATON, AUGUST 24-25
Boca Raton Synagogue
7900 Montoya Circle
Boca Raton, FL 33433
August 24-25, 2007
This summer season, the Orthodox Union’s Our Way program will bring its popular and meaningful Shabbaton program for the Jewish deaf and their families to Boca Raton, August 24-25. The Shabbaton is designed to meet the specific needs of the deaf and hearing impaired and to provide them with a one-of-a-kind Sabbath experience. It will be held at Boca Raton Synagogue, 7900 Montoya Circle.
The Shabbaton is sponsored by Annette and Leo Brown in Memory of Bina and Louis Brown.
Highlights of the Shabbaton include the presence of Deaf Scholars-in-Residence Shimon and Frady Steinhaus. Shimon and Frady reside in Brooklyn, NY. They have been active in Beth Torah of the Deaf for numerous years and also, are the founders of Dovi’s Playhouse, which helps children with special needs. They have five children, three of them are married. Frady teaches ASL at Brooklyn College continuing education program and will be a substitute teacher at Lexington School for the Deaf. Frady and Shimon have been scholars at several Our Way Shabbatonim, and are eager to meet the Jewish deaf community in Florida.
The Shabbaton Coordinator is Gayle Bramson, a teacher of the deaf and hard of hearing at Seminole Middle School in Plantation, Florida. She has a master’s degree in deaf education and is a National Board certified teacher. She has been in the field of deaf education for 29 years. In addition to her teaching career, Gayle is an interpreter for the Jewish Deaf population in Broward County. She has been interpreting Shabbat services and life cycle events for members of the Jewish Community Association of the Deaf (JCCAD), Temple Beth Orr in Coral Springs, and for Congregation B’nai Israel in Boca Raton for over 20 years. Gayle looks forward to serving as Shabbaton Coordinator and interpreter.
The South Florida Region of NCSY is helping to facilitate Boca Raton’s inaugural Shabbaton for the deaf. Distinguished guests will include NCSY’s Regional Director, Rabbi Tully Bryks. Under his leadership during the past three years, NCSY in South Florida has grown from 250 to over 1,000 active teen participants. In Boca Raton specifically, NCSY brought Rabbi Yaakov Green to the community whose full time job is to work exclusively with Jewish teens. From Jewish clubs in public schools to Latte & Learns to Shabbatons, NCSY is inspiring the Jewish future.
Along with special programming, the Our Way Shabbaton will provide three delicious meals and snacks; an interpreted synagogue service; a beginner’s prayer service; child care; and an opportunity to join together with others from the deaf community to live and learn about Judaism.
To attend, send an application and check for $30 by August 18 to Our Way Shabbaton, c/o Gayle Bramson, 5231 NW 99th Avenue, Sunrise, FL 33351.
For more information contact her by telephone at 954-748-8449, or by email at sunrise91954@yahoo.com.
For information on Our Way national programs, contact Rabbi Eliezer Lederfeind, Director of Our Way, at 212-613-8234 or email ourway@ou.org. For more information about NCSY please contact Rabbi Tully Bryks at 305-940-6566 or by email at RabbiTully@ncsy.org.