Our Way, the Orthodox Union program for the deaf and hard of hearing, will present a Shabbaton in Monsey the weekend of Friday, June 5 and Saturday, June 6, Shabbat Parshat Beha’alotcha at Congregation Bais Torah, 89 West Carlton Road.
Our Way is dedicated to providing resources, services, and social programming for the Jewish deaf and hard of hearing. It is a division of the OU’s National Jewish Council for Disabilities.
The Shabbaton will feature Deaf Torah Scholar-in-Residence Rabbi Yehoshua Soudakoff; Deaf Coordinators Rochol and Avrummy Globman; and Deaf Hosts Tova and Chaim Herskovic and Moshe Lehman. The program will also feature Guest Speakers Channah Arellano and Moshe Ebstein.
“At an Our Way Shabbaton the deaf learn about Judaism and the hearing learn about deafness. Everybody is a winner,” said Rabbi Eliezer Lederfeind, National Director of Our Way.
Cost of the Shabbaton is $43 per person. Discounts for families and scholarships are available.
Friday night after Shabbat dinner, Rabbi Lederfeind will deliver a Torah lecture on “Will it Be a Window or Crack in the Wall?” Following the lecture there will be games and refreshments.
On Saturday during Shacharit (morning prayer services) the Torah reading will be interpreted in ASL by Rabbi Yehoshua Soudakoff. After the conclusion of services there will be a Kiddush, the benediction over wine preceding the Shabbat meal, followed by a session presented by Rabbi Soudakoff on “The Power of the Number Seven.”
After Shabbat lunch, there will be a presentation by Guest Speaker Channah Arellano on “My Dairy Business.” In the evening prior to the Mincha afternoon service, there will be a Torah lecture presented by Guest Speaker Mordechai Ebstein, a Hard of Hearing teacher and Torah scribe. The third and final Shabbat meal will be led by Rabbi Soudakoff.
For more information about the Shabbaton and Our Way programming contact Rabbi Eliezer Lederfeind at 212-613-8234 or email ourway@ou.org.