OU Presents Live Webcast for Youth Professionals, 2/16, to Focus on Inclusion

01 Feb 2011

OU SYNAGOGUE SERVICES, WITH YACHAD, PRESENT THIRD NATIONAL LIVE WEBCAST FOR YOUTH PROFESSIONALS, “HOW TO PROMOTE AND FACILITATE INCLUSION IN YOUTH PROGRAMMING,” FEBRUARY 16

The OU Karasick Department of Synagogue Services | Congregation Support Network Youth Professionals Network will present a live webcast for a national audience on Wednesday, February 16 featuring Dr. Jeffrey Lichtman, National Director of the Orthodox Union’s Yachad, The National Jewish Council for Disabilities (NJCD). The topic of the webcast is “How to Promote and Facilitate Inclusion in Youth Programming,” as part of Yachad’s month-long NAIM program, which emphasizes Inclusion in the broad Jewish community.

The program begins at 5:00 p.m. EST at Orthodox Union Headquarters in New York, with an audience of youth professionals expected to log-in from all over North America.

The webcast will be available at www.ou.org/webcast_synserv.

This is the third webcast under the auspices of the OU Synagogue Services Youth Professionals Network, which educates and shares creative and successful techniques for those seeking to build and improve their youth departments.

“Synagogue Services is pleased to partner with Yachad to promote the need for more Inclusion and integration of people with disabilities in our community,” declared Laya Pelzner, Associate Director of OU Synagogue Services.

February is North American Inclusion Month (NAIM), a timeframe originated by Dr. Lichtman and Yachad, specifically designated to raise awareness and to develop sensitivity of what it means for those who live with disabilities, and how to Include them within the greater Jewish community. Youth professionals interested in organizing an event in participation with NAIM can find information and resources, in addition to viewing NAIM events scheduled in communities across America at www.njcd.org/naim.

According to NAIM Coordinator Eli Hagler, “Yachad is very excited to partner with the OU Synagogue Services team to present this webcast in participation with NAIM. The best place to begin learning, teaching and enhancing the Inclusion of those with disabilities, is through the community. If synagogues are able to better facilitate Inclusion, then Inclusion will be able to spread to other branches of our life as well — in the work force, in schools, and in our own homes. We can all strive to be more Inclusive of those living with a disability.”

Dr. Lichtman also serves as Dean of NJCD IVDU Schools; Director of the New Jersey Association of Jewish Day Schools; and as a consultant to schools and agencies working with individuals with special needs. His areas of expertise include individual and group counseling; social skills training; and Inclusion and teacher training.

Youth professionals, from OU Member Synagogues, can join the Youth Professionals Network and benefit from opportunities to connect with other youth professionals; best-practices emails; meetings with the OU Synagogue Services team; webcasts; and annual conferences.

To register and for further information, contact Penny Pazornick, Director of OU Youth Professionals Network, at {encode=”mailto:pazornickp@ou.org” title=”pazornickp@ou.org “}or call 212.613.8149.

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