June 7, 2000
Follow the Blue and White Road
New Float, Familiar Faces: Orthodox Union's NJCD Marches in
Salute to Israel Parade
The crowd of cheering, pro-Israel spectators seemed to part like the proverbial Red Sea as an exuberant group of more than 100 special men and women made their way down 5th Avenue at the 36th annual Salute to Israel Parade. The participants were members of
Yachad (the National Jewish Council for the Disabled's flagship division that serves the needs of the developmentally disabled) and
Our Way (the division that serves the needs of the Jewish deaf and hearing impaired). NJCD is an agency of the
Orthodox Union.
Having participated in the parade for the past 17 years, this year marks the first time that the NJCD group marched down 5th Avenue with their own float. With banners held high and smiles beaming from every face, the group danced and sang while waving to the crowd as they walked from 52nd Street to 79th Street. Touting Israeli flags and throwing candy to onlookers, they cheered for Israel and embodied the sentiments of the day by proudly demonstrating their undying love for the State of Israel.
The crowd, for their part, reciprocated with comparable enthusiasm, cheering loudly as Yachad and Our Way walked by. Dr. Jeff Lichtman, National Director of
NJCD, explained, "All year long we come together with school and synagogue communities across the United States, teaching about our abilities, facilitating inclusion and making friends wherever we go. Inevitably, by the end of the year, we have created a very large extended family. When Yachad marches by, the cheers are resoundingly loud because, in a sense, we belong to everyone. We are all family. The Yachad members are proud of this and they embrace the justifiable feeling of pride."
For Yachad, where inclusion into the larger community is a high priority, the group's participation in the parade epitomized the progress and success that Yachad has had over the past 17 years.
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 specialized guidance and information as well as direct 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, serving well over 1,500 children and adults with developmental disabilities.
Established in 1969, Our Way is the only Jewish movement reaching out to the deaf and hearing impaired across the country and bridging the gap between the hearing and non-hearing worlds. Through a vast array of programs including
Shabbatonim, 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 1,000 deaf across the country.
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
 , is the world’s most
recognized kosher symbol and can be found on over 250,000 products in 68
countries around the globe.
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 Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations
of America
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Sharyn Perlman, Director
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Phone: 212-613-8321 Fax: 212-564-9058
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