Helping all Jews Access the Magic of Torah
I teach calligraphers to become Torah scribes, and I teach schools and congregations about Torah scrolls and the Jewish scribal arts. I think all Jews ought to be able to access the magic of [...]
It’s Time to Stop Viewing Children as “That Kid”
I have always considered myself to be an “out of the box” kind of person. As a very young child I was constantly in the midst of engaging, creative and active play. I never really sat down. I was [...]
The Power of Networking and the Kindness of Strangers
My older sister Laura—and favorite person on this earth—has Down syndrome. She is blessed, and has truly blessed my family, with the most wonderful life. Laura met her boyfriend Darryl (who also [...]
Tiny Grains of Sand – Now I Am Here
The beach —- virtually any beach — has always been a quasi-spiritual experience for me. The open skies, crashing waves, warm air and soft sand beneath my feet trigger in me a sense of [...]
Differentiated Instruction + Flipped Learning = Flipperentiated Instruction
In 2004, a man named Salman began tutoring his younger cousins. Since he was living in Boston and they were living in New Orleans, Salman decided to upload videos of his tutoring sessions to [...]
A Passover Reflection – Why Can’t the Fourth Child Ask a Question?
Why is the fourth child unable to ask a question at the Seder? I want to approach this question by first telling you a story about what took place on a recent Sunday morning at Beth Shalom, when [...]
Truly Celebrating Our Children
Sitting in a café, waiting for my next meeting, slowly sipping coffee, playing on my phone, while actively trying not to listen to the two women sitting next to me. That quickly proved [...]
Through Tiki’s Eyes: Expanding Opportunities for Jewish Social Engagement
When I was younger, I remember anxiously awaiting the few weekends each year that I got to spend with my camp friends. Since my camp friends lived across the Midwest, Northeast, and Canada, these [...]
The Gifts We All Have to Give
In recognition of Jewish Disabilities Awareness Month, we have been sharing a weekly D’var Torah (word of Torah) where guest bloggers link the week’s Torah portion to the theme of inclusion. This [...]
How Do We Talk to Disabled People and Their Loved Ones?
Recently I was brainstorming with some other people involved with improving accessibility in the Jewish community about the kinds of issues we should be focusing on during JDAM (Jewish Disability [...]
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