Chicago Yachad will present an inclusive Shabbat and Melava Malka to take place the weekend of February 12-13, as part of Yachad/National Jewish Council for Disabilities’ North American Inclusion Month (NAIM).
Yachad/NJCD, an agency of the Orthodox Union now celebrating its 25th anniversary, is dedicated to enhancing life for those with disabilities. It has designated February 2010 as a month specifically to raise awareness and develop sensitivity of what it means for those who live with disabilities, and how to include them in the larger community.
The weekend event is being co-sponsored by the Jewish Special Education International Consortium.
Judge Dan Butler, a renowned judge and an inspiring and powerful speaker, will be featured over Shabbat. He will speak at a variety of synagogues on “Building an Inclusive Jewish Community,” and share his own life story and powerful message of including those with disabilities in Jewish communal life. He will also be the featured speaker at a community-wide Melava Malka on Saturday night.
On Friday night, Judge Butler will speak at Congregation Kehilath Jacob Beth Samuel in Peterson Park. Afterwards, there will be an oneg Shabbat at a private home at 8:00 p.m., where Judge Butler will also speak. On Shabbat morning, he will address Congregation KINS and at Shalosh Seudot (the third Shabbat meal), he will speak at Congregation Adath Yeshurun, both in West Rogers Park. Finally, he will address the Melava Malka taking place at Congregation Sha’arei Tzedek, also in West Rogers Park.
Dr. Jeffrey Lichtman, Director of Yachad/NJCD, stated, “Chicago was among our very first chapters to seize the NAIM Initiative. Among the hundreds of community shuls and schools participating in NAIM, it stands as a leader for the breadth and depth of its enthusiastic NAIM and Yachad programming.”
Chaim Suss, Chairman of the Board of Chicago Yachad, declared, “The primary purpose of the weekend is to raise awareness of what we can do to foster inclusion in the Jewish community, but also important is the chance to educate people in the Chicago community more about Yachad and what we do.”
For more information, contact Mr. Suss at chicagoyachad@yahoo.com or 847-674-9470.