Matan, a leading nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing Jewish disability inclusion in communities throughout North America, marked a major milestone with a special evening celebrating 25 years of impact.
The Matan silver anniversary spring event, which took place on March 25 at Park Avenue Synagogue in New York City, brought together 150 Jewish community leaders, partners and supporters to reflect on Matan’s transformative journey, celebrate its achievements and present several awards.
“It was a ‘This is your life!’ kind of evening for Matan as an organization,” said Meredith Polsky, Matan’s founder and director of vision and impact. “We have come a long way in 25 years! It was remarkable to look back on the early years, honor the people and places that have worked to elevate Jewish disability inclusion in so many crucial ways, and look ahead to the impact we need to cultivate over the next 25 years and beyond. It was an incredibly meaningful celebration.”
The evening’s festivities included a gallery showcasing a quarter-century of Matan memorabilia, a meaningful 25th anniversary video reflection, as well as the presentation of three awards to outstanding individuals and organizations for their significant contributions to the advancement of Jewish disability inclusion. This year’s honorees included:
Leadership Award: Presented to Park Avenue Synagogue for its partnership since Matan’s inception. Their deep commitment to including individuals with disabilities has fostered a more welcoming and accessible Jewish community, serving as an example for others to emulate. The award was accepted by Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove and Rabbi Neil Zuckerman.
“At Park Avenue Synagogue, we are committed to building, as written in the Book of Isaiah, ‘A house of prayer for all people.’ Matan has been a valued partner in this work, sharing our belief that disability inclusion is not only a sacred mandate but also essential to the vitality, strength and Jewish character of our community,” said the rabbis. “We are deeply honored to receive this recognition from Matan as it celebrates 25 years of impact and look forward to continuing our partnership in fostering full participation in Jewish life for all.”
Impact Award: Presented to Jodi Newmark, director of Encompass, an initiative of Chicago’s Jewish United Fund (JUF), for her tireless work to expand and enhance community-based services for adults with disabilities so that they can fully and meaningfully participate in Jewish life.
“I am extremely proud to be part of the Chicago Jewish community’s efforts to advance inclusion of people with disabilities in all aspects of Jewish life. Our work to advance inclusion in synagogue settings, with organizations that engage young adults, and with employers has resulted not only in better outcomes for adults with disabilities, it has strengthened our entire Jewish community,” said Newmark. “My acceptance of the Impact Award from Matan is on behalf of all of those who have participated in and supported these efforts. It is tremendously meaningful to receive national recognition with the Matan Impact Award; after all, Matan is universally regarded as the gold standard for inclusion.”
Trailblazer Award: Presented to Elaine Hall, founder of the Miracle Project, an inclusive theater and film program, and star of HBO’s Emmy award-winning film Autism: The Musical. Elaine was being recognized for her groundbreaking efforts to advance disability inclusion through the arts and inspiring inclusion and belonging within the Jewish community and beyond.
“I am beyond honored to receive the Trailblazer Award from Matan, who is a leader in the Jewish disability and inclusion field,” said Hall. “Matan’s work with raising awareness and the need for religious education has opened the door for me to initiate my creative efforts for not only inclusion but belonging in the Jewish community.”
Additionally, the event included a heartfelt salute to former executive director Dori Frumin Kirshner with gratitude for her 17 years at Matan. Under her visionary leadership, Matan transformed from a local organization into a national leader in Jewish disability inclusion. Matan celebrates her extraordinary achievements and dedication to ensuring that every Jewish individual feels seen, valued and included.
Media contact: Bethany Spector, marketing and communications manager at Matan, bspector@mataninc.org, (866) 410-5600, Ext. 19.