YACHAD TO SPONSOR FIRST ANNUAL WINTER SKI/SNOWTUBING TRIP FEBRUARY 24 AT WOODBURY SKI AREA IN CONNECTICUT FOR NEW YORK/NEW JERSEY COMMUNITIES
Yachad/The National Council for Jewish Disabilities (NJCD) will host is first annual winter snowtubing trip on Sunday, February 24, at the Woodbury Ski Area in Connecticut. According to Yehuda Charm, director of New York Yachad, close to 60-100 Yachad members from the New York/New Jersey area are expected to attend, along with about 20 Yachad advisers. Snowtubing is a popular winter recreational activity of riding an inner tube down a slope.
“We fully expect this to become an annual winter trip,” said Yehuda. “Everyone is looking forward to what should be an exciting day.” Miriam Ambinder, a Yachad adviser since 2006 who is attending the trip, says, “We’re all really excited about it, because this trip will give us an opportunity to come together as a whole group and have a great time in a fun and relaxed environment.”
Alyse Stein, also a Yachad adviser, agrees, saying that while individual Yachad divisions take a trip each month, “this trip will include everyone, so it will be fun for participants to see their friends from other chapters.”
Yachad/NJCD is an agency of the OU that provides educational and social inclusion programs through its two major components, Yachad, for children and adults with learning and developmental disabilities, and Our Way, for the deaf and hard of hearing. Yachad/NJCD is dedicated to enhancing the lives of individuals with disabilities, ensuring that they don’t miss out any life opportunities.
Dr. Jeffrey Lichtman, National Director of Yachad/NJCD, declared, “People tend to think of Yachad members as incapable and fragile, but this ski trip, along with many other Yachad activities, shows that they have likes and dislikes, areas of strength and areas of weakness, disability and ability. In short, they are much more like us than they are different. They can do almost anything that anyone else can! ”
Buses will be leaving from Monsey, Teaneck, Woodmere, Brooklyn and Queens in the early morning, and will be returning late at night after a fun-filled day of snow tubing and reconnecting with friends. The cost of the trip is $65. To reserve a spot, contact Yehuda Charm at 212-613-8223 or charmy@ou.org.