November 1, 1999

The National Jewish Council for the Disabled (NJCD) Our Way program for the Jewish deaf and hearing impaired will present its first annual award to Dr. Elana Brown, a Brooklyn resident, at its dinner on Sunday, November 14, at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York.

Growing up in an extended family household, Dr. Brown’s desire to communicate with her deaf uncle, Sheldon, inspired her to learn to sign the English alphabet as soon as she had learned her ABCs. By the time she was four years old, Dr. Brown was already able to use finger spelling to talk to her beloved uncle.

Today, Dr. Brown is a chiropractor with a successful private practice and considers herself to be Uncle Sheldon’s "social secretary." Dr. Brown’s goals include making sure that her uncle – a talented artist – continues his art classes and that he maintains his vital connection to other deaf Jews by attending nearly every Our Way program, convention and Shabbaton (weekend retreat).

Dr. Brown is also an energetic and devoted volunteer for numerous charities, including City Harvest, Inc. (which feeds the poor), and each year runs a successful Project Help Other People Eat (HOPE) Food Drive, asking her patients for canned food donations. In the Brooklyn community where Dr. Brown practices, she is a vocal advocate of the benefits of chiropractic medicine, often providing free treatments to individuals at a Manhattan soup kitchen.

"Demonstrating creativity, hard work and passion in her work in support of the Jewish deaf and hearing impaired as well as all individuals who are in need, Dr. Brown is indeed a worthy recipient of the first Our Way Award," said Dr. Jeffery Lichtman, National Director of the NJCD.

Our Way, established in 1969, is currently the only organization reaching out to deaf and hearing impaired Jews across the country, bridging the gap between the hearing and non-hearing worlds. Through a vast array of programs including holiday celebrations, a deaf singles registry, Torah study groups, summer tours, family retreats, conventions and special signing publications, Our Way provides spiritual and social opportunities for nearly 2,000 Jewish deaf across the country.

With more than 35 chapters throughout the United States and Canada, the NJCD, an agency of the Orthodox Union, is the only national resource center providing guidance, information and referral services to those in the Jewish community who have special needs. Yachad, a division of the NJCD, provides a wide range of social, recreational and religious programs, for developmentally disabled children and adults.

The Orthodox Union, now in its second century of service to the Jewish community of America and beyond, is the world leader in youth work, advocacy for the disabled, synagogue services, adult education and political action. Its kosher supervision label, the OU, is the world’s most recognized kosher symbol and can be found on over 200,000 products in 62 countries around the globe.

www.ou.org

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Comments? Requests? Questions?

• Our Way - NJCD - The Hearing Impaired Child in the Jewish Classroom - OU.ORG

• Our Way for the Jewish Deaf - OU.ORG

• Strategies for Inclusion: Creating a Synagogue That is Blind/Deaf Friendly

• JEWISH PRAYERS TRANSLATED INTO SIGN LANGUAGE - OUPR

Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America Department of Public Relations Sharyn Perlman, Director Main Office: 11 Broadway, New York, NY 10004 Phone: 212-613-8321 Fax: 212-564-9058 E-mail: media@ou.org

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