YACHAD

A Place Where Everyone Belongs

Yachad is a global organization dedicated to addressing the needs of Jewish individuals with disabilities, ensuring their inclusion in every aspect of Jewish life. Yachad helps educate and advocate for greater understanding, acceptance, outreach, and opportunity for the disabled community. Most importantly, Yachad helps foster unity among Am Yisrael by celebrating the uniqueness of every Jew.

Visit Yachad
Photo on left: New friendships formed at The Mendel Balk Yachad Center.
Photo on right: Participants enjoying time at The Ruth Ulevitch Lang Yachad Art Program.
9,000+
individuals participated in informal education
5,000+
individuals hosted on inclusive Shabbatonim throughout North America
28
inclusive summer programs offered in 2018

Bringing the Community Together

Shabbatonim for All Members of the Community

Across the country, Yachad Shabbatonim cultivate understanding, mutual respect, and camaraderie within the Jewish community by bringing individuals with disabilities and community participants together for prayer, Shabbat meals, singing, and more.

Camping for All

Yachad is the largest provider of Jewish camping opportunities for people with disabilities. Through partnerships with 17 Jewish summer camps, Yachad is able to offer a wide variety of placement programs catering to each individual’s needs.

Seeing Israel through Different Eyes

Through Birthright Israel, Yachad offers free 10-day trips to Israel for young adults with disabilities, providing a true taste of Israel through unique sightseeing programs and activities. Yad B’Yad, Yachad’s Inclusive Israel Experience for high school students, offers a four-week touring adventure for disabled and non-disabled teens to form strong bonds of friendship that endure for a lifetime.

financials
Yachad’s Inclusive Israel Leadership Experience, brings together Yachad participants and mainstream high school peers for a life-changing 10-day-long trip in Israel. Participants enjoy a morning at the Kotel.

Fostering Independence

Inclusion Centers: A Place for Young Adults to Be Themselves

The Yachad Inclusion Center is a “home away from home” where young adults with special needs enjoy year-round social and educational programs in a loving environment. Locations in metropolitan New York, Teaneck, NJ, and Boston, MA, offer art classes, improv classes, music and dance lessons, sports, and more.

Vocational Training

Yachad offers an array of services, ranging from day habilitation programs to vocational training services to respite services for families. Through this work experience, attendees achieve greater independence and become better able to participate in the full spectrum of life.

A School for Life Skills

Located in Brooklyn and Long Island, Yachad’s IVDU schools offer a comprehensive and nurturing educational environment for Jewish students ages 5 to 21 with learning challenges. IVDU provides students with the core academic, social, and life skills they need to reach their highest potential and develop into productive citizens in their communities.

Yachad Regions
  • • Baltimore
  • • Chicago
  • • Cleveland
  • • Dallas
  • • Israel
  • • Los Angeles
  • • New England
  • • New Jersey
  • • New York
  • • South Florida
  • • Toronto

The Jewish Union Foundation (JUF) offers a wide array of services, ranging from day habilitation programs to vocational training services, and more.

A group of Yachad Advisors enjoying their end of year Advisor Appreciation event, the annual Crew on a Cruise boat tour of the NYC Harbor

Yachad Gifts

Yachad Gifts is dedicated to training and employing individuals with disabilities. By working at Yachad Gifts, individuals gain the confidence in their abilities to be professional, accountable, and dependable at a consistent place of work.

Staff members work on the production of our gift baskets, carefully handcrafting each basket in our Brooklyn production space. Individuals also learn sales skills, social media, research, packaging, and retail skills.

OU Women’s Initiative