May 17, 2004

Our Way Presents First Shabbaton for Hearing Impaired and Deaf Russian Jews

The Orthodox Union’s Our Way program for Jewish deaf and hearing impaired, a component of the OU’s National Jewish Council for Disabilities, presented its first Shabbaton (a Sabbath weekend experience) for deaf Russian Jews May 7 – 8 at Congregation Shaarei Tefilla in Brooklyn.

Twenty-five Russian deaf adults from the New York area participated.

“The Jewish deaf have been extremely isolated, especially within the Russian community,” declared Rabbi Eliezer Lederfeind, Our Way Director. “TTY (telecommunications device for the deaf) only exists in English, and the Russian deaf can’t attend classes given in Russian because there is no Russian Sign Language offered. The only way most deaf Russians can communicate with each other is by fax.”

“Although there are many services for Russian and deaf individuals, few agencies are equipped to provide for both simultaneously,” Rabbi Lederfeind continued. “Our Way has this capability. The Shabbaton responded to the uniqueness of this community by offering heartfelt Jewish experiences and programming in Russian Sign Language. This Shabbat experience, held in the newly renovated Congregation Shaarei Tefilla, truly made everyone feel at home.”

Rabbi Lederfeind and Mikhail Semenduyev, a hearing son of deaf Russian Jews, coordinated the weekend, which included Torah sessions, Shabbat meals, and prayer services interpreted into Russian Sign Language.

The weekend also included a keynote address by David Livshits, a deaf Russian Jew from Phoenix, Arizona and an address by Rabbi Ephraim Varshavsky of Brooklyn’s Sinai Jewish High School on the upcoming celebration of Lag B’Omer.

Moments before the Sabbath began, Rabbi Lederfeind (r) demonstrated in Sign Language the prayer over the candles for the participants to follow along.

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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