October 30, 2003

Young Adults to Travel from January 4-16, 2004:

OU “Yachad” Program to Offer First birthright israel Trip for Developmentally Disabled; Follows Successful Programs for the Deaf and Hearing Impaired

Under the auspices of the Orthodox Union’s National Jewish Council for Disabilities (NJCD), developmentally disabled young adults from the ages of 18-26 will have their first opportunity this winter to take part in the birthright israel gift of free trips to Israel, traveling there from January 4-16, 2004.

The participation of the developmentally disabled follows successful birthright israel trips the past two years for the deaf and hearing impaired, also arranged by NJCD.

NJCD operates two programs, “Yachad,” which provides unique social, educational and recreational programs for individuals with learning, developmental and physical disabilities; and “Our Way,” which offers similar opportunities for the hard of hearing and deaf.

Our Way will return to birthright israel this winter in a separate trip at the same time as Yachad. Both groups will travel together to Israel, but will maintain separate itineraries, prepared with the needs of each group in mind.

“The success of Our Way, the first program to send the hearing disabled on birthright israel, provided the impetus for Yachad participation,” declared Batya Jacob, Our Way program director, who is supervising preparations for each trip and who will oversee both programs when they are in Israel. Other organizations who have programmed in the past for deaf and hard of hearing participants now send their birthright israel participants with Our Way, due to the NJCD’s expertise in running the program.

Like all birthright israel programs, the Yachad version will include praying at the Kotel, climbing Masada, swimming in the Dead Sea, hiking in the Golan Heights, riding a camel, working on an archeological dig, and similar activities. However, formal educational presentations will be replaced by “creative education,” according to Ms. Jacob. For example, Yachad members will role play a Knesset session rather than hearing a speech from a Knesset member. When all birthright israel groups join together, for instance at the birthright israel Mega Event, to hear from the Prime Minister or President of Israel, the Yachad and Our Way delegations will receive preferred seating, Ms. Jacob said, and a sign language interpreter will be front and center interpreting the entire program.

“Pre-teaching” prior to departure will prepare the Yachad group for its activities. “We’ll provide a flavor of Eretz Yisrael and an historical perspective,” declares Ms. Jacob.

Staff and guides accompanying the group have been specially trained by Yachad to work with the developmentally disabled; the 1-to-5 ratio of staff to participants assures attention to the needs of each.

In addition, two armed guards will accompany the group, and trip administrators will receive security updates each morning to determine the safety of the day’s itinerary. If necessary, routes or destinations will be changed, Ms. Jacob says. As another security measure, rather than Yachad going to Ben Yehuda Street in Jerusalem, Ben Yehuda Street will go to Yachad, as merchants and food sellers will display their wares as part of a souk and Israeli café night to be set up in the group’s hotel.

“It is the goal of Yachad to mainstream our young people as much as possible,” said Ms. Jacob. “Participation in birthright israel will provide yet another opportunity for the developmentally disabled to share experiences enjoyed by the general Jewish population. We are very proud that Yachad has been selected to organize and lead this group.”

For further information on the Yachad or One Way birthright israel trip, contact Ms. Jacob at 212-613-8127, or arielib@ou.org.

birthright israel is a unique partnership between the people of Israel through their government, local Jewish communities (United Jewish Communities, Keren Hayesod, and The Jewish Agency for Israel), and the following Jewish philanthropic partners: S. Daniel Abraham, The Abramson Family Foundation, Andrea and Charles Bronfman, Edgar Bronfman Sr., Richard and Rhoda Goldman Foundation, Hadassah - The Women's Zionist Organization of America, Ronald S. Lauder, The Samberg Family Foundation, Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation, Judy and Michael Steinhardt, The Wasserman Foundation, Leslie and Abigail Wexner and The Wexner Foundation, Karen and Gary Winnick in North America; Marc Rich in Europe. Special contributions have also been made by The AVI CHAI Foundation, Sandy Baklor and Arlene Kaufman, Len and Alex Blavatnik, Stephen R. Bronfman, The Goldring Family Foundation, The Harold Grinspoon Foundation, Robert and Arlene Kogod, Lev Leviev, The Righteous Persons Foundation and The Woldenberg Foundation.

The Orthodox Union, now in its second century of service to the Jewish community of North America and beyond, is a world leader in community and synagogue services, adult education, youth work through NCSY, political action through the IPA, and advocacy for persons with disabilities through Yachad and Our Way. Its kosher supervision label, the , is the world’s most recognized kosher symbol and can be found on over 275,000 products manufactured in 68 countries around the globe.

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