Wire

Wire
/

Students’ sensory Chanukah cards shine light on disability

Special workshop from ADI teaches students in U.S., Canada, U.K. and Poland about disability, highlights how easy and beautiful inclusion can be.

Students from the Epstein Hillel School in Marblehead, MA, are among hundreds of young disability advocates across the US, Canada, the UK and even Poland who created beautiful ‘Sensory Chanukah Cards’ during their ‘ADI Bechinuch’ workshops to brighten the holiday for ADI’s residents and special education students with severe disabilities.
Students from the Epstein Hillel School in Marblehead, MA, are among hundreds of young disability advocates across the US, Canada, the UK and even Poland who created beautiful ‘Sensory Chanukah Cards’ during their ‘ADI Bechinuch’ workshops to brighten the holiday for ADI’s residents and special education students with severe disabilities.

For the fourth straight year, hundreds of students from Jewish day schools and Hebrew schools across the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom and even Poland are learning about the care, rehabilitation and advancement of children with severe disabilities by creating unique “Sensory Chanukah Cards” that will lift the spirits of their peers at ADI, a network of specialized care and empowerment for the most vulnerable members of Israeli society.

The inspired young artists from more than 30 schools were spurred into action by one of the many inclusion-focused challenges posed by the organization’s “ADI Bechinuch” Disability Inclusion Program, a robust curriculum of interactive modules and STEM projects that highlight the importance of disability inclusion and transform the students into disability advocates and agents of change in their own communities.

Ahead of Chanukah, the students’ holiday masterpieces, which include bright colors, interesting textures and 3D elements that are fun for ADI’s residents and special education students with severe disabilities to look at and touch, are being delivered to the organization’s two centers in Jerusalem and the Negev by the boxful, underscoring just how easy and beautiful inclusion can be.

A student from the Beth Tfiloh Dahan Community School in Baltimore, MD, shows off one of the many “Sensory Chanukah Cards” created to brighten the holiday for ADI’s residents and special education students with severe disabilities.

“In a world that is being darkened with hatred and intolerance, we need to teach our children to shine the light of empathy and compassion,” said Elie Klein, ADI’s Director of Development for the U.S. and Canada. “The ADI Bechinuch programming broaches the subject with sensitivity and imagination, employing fun and engaging lessons, activities and simulations to teach students of every age how to open their hearts and minds to the needs and challenges of others.”

“For example, this Chanukah-themed workshop first teaches students how art therapy is used to help our ADI family members with severe disabilities reach their greatest potentials before encouraging the students to use the same mediums to enhance the holiday for the ADI residents and special education students. In addition to presenting them with a compelling reason to do something thoughtful for others, the creative process becomes an opening for a class discussion about the abilities that can be found within every disability and how they can promote disability inclusion in their own communities and beyond.”

An ADI resident with severe disabilities is all smiles during Chanukah 2021 after receiving a beautiful ‘Sensory Chanukah Card’ that was created by a new friend from overseas.

In the months ahead, the ADI Bechinuch partner schools, including many affiliated with Jewish National Fund-USA, will continue to explore the importance and impact of disability inclusion by completing interactive modules, taking virtual tours of ADI Jerusalem and ADI Negev-Nahalat Eran and creating simple STEM projects to enhance the lives of individuals with disabilities in their communities. In February, the schools will also participate in ADI’s “Make the Change Challenge,” an international STEM accessible design contest to mark Jewish Disability Awareness, Acceptance and Inclusion Month (JDAIM).

“The enthusiasm and genuine excitement with which the students at our ADI Bechinuch partner schools approach each element of the curriculum is nothing short of extraordinary,” added Klein. “It’s clear that these young leaders are not only beginning to understand the realities of disability and how it connects us all, but they are also internalizing the fact that they can take an active role in making the kind of inclusive changes we so desperately need in this world.”

ADI provides its residents and special education students with the individualized growth plans and specialized services they need to grow and thrive, its rehabilitation patients with the treatments and therapies they need to heal and return to their lives, and the community at large with tangible opportunities for encountering disability, raising awareness and promoting acceptance.

You have read 3 articles this month.
Register to receive full access to JNS.
About & contact The Publisher
ADI
ADI (pronounced ah-dee) is the Hebrew word for a radiant and multifaceted jewel, a name that reflects our expansive vision and broad scope of activities, including disability care, rehabilitation, research, employment, education, community services and tikkun olam. It also speaks to the importance of our mission to care for the most precious members of our society—those who cannot care for themselves. Understanding that all individuals deserve the best available care and every possible opportunity to reach their greatest potential, ADI provides comprehensive rehabilitative solutions for children, adolescents and adults with severe disabilities and complex medical conditions, as well as pioneers cutting-edge therapeutic and recovery services for anyone touched by disability, all in a dignified, warm and loving atmosphere. See: adi-il.org/.
Releases published on the JNS Wire are communicated and paid for by third parties. Jewish News Syndicate, and any of its distribution partners, take zero responsibility for the accuracy of any content published in any press release. All the statements, opinions, figures in text or multimedia including photos or videos included in each release are presented solely by the sponsoring organization, and in no way reflect the views or recommendation of Jewish News Syndicate or any of its partners. If you believe any of the content in a release published on JNS Wire is offensive or abusive, please report a release.
Comments
Thank you. You are a loyal JNS Reader.
You have read more than 10 articles this month.
Please register for full access to continue reading and post comments.
Never miss a thing
Get the best stories faster with JNS breaking news updates