Our Way Welcomes Jewish Deaf to Valley Village for OU Shabbaton, August 10-11

13 Jul 2007

OUR WAY WELCOMES JEWISH DEAF TO VALLEY VILLAGE FOR OU SHABBATON, AUGUST 10-11

This summer season, the Orthodox Union’s Our Way program will bring its popular and meaningful Shabbaton program for the Jewish deaf and their families to Valley Village, August10-11. The Shabbaton is designed to meet the specific needs of the deaf and hearing impaired and to provide them with a one-of-a-kind Sabbath experience. It will be held at Congregation Shaarey Zedek,12800 Chandler Blvd.

Highlights of the weekend include the presence of Deaf Scholar-in-Residence Rabbi Fred Friedman. Rabbi Friedman has been with Our Way for 24 years. He received his semicha (rabbinical ordination) 23 years ago at the Ner Israel Rabbinical College in Baltimore, MD. Each year he commutes to Brooklyn, NY for Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur to lead services for the Brooklyn Hebrew Society of the Deaf. He has officiated at marriages, arranged funerals, hosted Sheva Brochos and is proud to be part of Our Way. He and his wife, Connie, look forward to being together with Jewish deaf from California.

The Deaf Host, Sharon Ann Dror, is the Founder and President of JDCC (Jewish Deaf Community Center), and is the mother of three deaf children, Joshua, Michael, and Rachel. She grew up in a traditional Jewish household in Santa Monica, and graduated from Woodbury University with an accounting degree. She served on the National Congress of Jewish Deaf’s board for eight years and was involved with several other Jewish deaf organizations including Temple Beth Solomon of the Deaf (Arleta), Washington Society of Jewish Deaf, and Chabad House Hearing Impaired Program in Los Angeles. Sharon now lives in Burbank, and she looks forward to welcoming you to the Shabbaton.

Along with special programming, the Shabbaton will provide three delicious meals and snacks; an interpreted synagogue service; a beginner’s prayer service; child care; and an opportunity to join together with others from the deaf community to live and learn about Judaism.

To attend, send an application and check for $30 by August 3 to Our Way Shabbaton, c/o Sharon Ann Dror, 507 Bethany Road, Burbank, CA 91504.

For more information contact Sharon Ann Dror by telephone at 818-845-9934, by fax at 818-509-7740, or by email at sadror@aol.com, or Lori Moore at 818-509-7740.

For information on Our Way national programs, contact Rabbi Eliezer Lederfeind, Director of Our Way, at 212-613-8234 or email ourway@ou.org