August 16, 2000
Sign of
the Times
Jewish Renaissance Fair Now Available to the Deaf
and Hard of Hearing
This year, for the first time ever, the annual Jewish
Renaissance Fair will
be available to the deaf and hard of hearing. Our Way, a division of the
Orthodox Union's National Jewish
Council for the Disabled (NJCD),
will be providing sign language interpreters at all of the events
throughout the day. The fair, sponsored by Lubavitch, is scheduled
for Sunday, September 3, at the South Mountain Reservation in West
Orange, NJ. The day will feature concerts by Avraham Fried
and Uncle Moishe, a show by Mark Weiner of Nickelodeon's Weinerville,
jugglers, clowns and much more.
There will be rides for children and even an opportunity
to watch this year's hockey Stanley Cup champions, the New Jersey
Devils, as they practice.
Rabbi Eliezer Liederfiend, founder and director of Our
Way, explains, "We are very proud of the new opportunities we
are creating for the deaf and hard of hearing. By making the
Jewish Renaissance Fair accessible to the Jewish deaf, we are taking a
giant leap forward in our efforts to facilitate the inclusion of these
men, women and children into the larger Jewish community."
For more information contact Batya Jacob at
212.613.8127. Established in 1969, Our Way is the only Jewish
organization that reaches out to the deaf and hearing impaired across
the country and bridges the gap between the hearing and non-hearing
worlds. Through a vast array of programs including Shabbatonim, holiday
celebrations, a Jewish 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 or hard of hearing Jews across the country.
