Original Articles

When children are small, they instinctively learn about our world through their senses. Stimulating the senses sends signals to the brain and strengthens the neural pathways for learning. And [...]

It is the first day of camp and one of my campers is already totally overwhelmed. My co-counselor tells me to go sit with him. It is my first day on the job and my first summer as a counselor in [...]

Written by Lisa Friedman, Matan’s Manager of Social Media and Alumni NetworksJewish Disability Awareness Month may be behind us, but we at Matan know that inclusion is not just a month of [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

Written by Lisa Friedman, Manager of Social Media and Alumni Networks. Inclusion takes intentional planning and hard work. Even the most seasoned educators will make mistakes from time to time. [...]

It never fails—just when the worst of my seasonal affective “blahs” kicks in, it’s time for Tu Bishevat, the Jewish celebration of trees, taking care of the earth and celebrating the cycles of [...]

Written by Lisa Friedman, Matan’s Manager of Social Media and Alumni Networks In Judaism, intention (kavanah) is most often discussed in relationship to prayer. From the Hebrew root meaning [...]

Written by Meredith Polsky, National Director of Institutes and Training As February begins, so, too, does Jewish Disabilities Awareness Month. For those of us in the field of Jewish Special [...]

As we celebrate the life of a man deeply committed to the notion of equality for all people, we can naturally think of the ways in which his impact can be felt by those who love, support and [...]