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All of us are created b’tzelem elohim, in God’s image. Each of us is exactly as we should be and worthy of living a meaningful Jewish life. No one has the right to judge what is “meaningful” for [...]

Parashat Korach is most well-known for an intense narrative about Israelite leaders who rise up and rebel against the authority of Moses. Korach, the self-appointed leader of the rebellion, was [...]

One of the “greatest hits” of Parashat Naso is a well-known passage that is both completely inclusive and also fraught with divisiveness.  In Numbers Chapter 6, verse 22, we see one of only two [...]

Parashat B’chukotai comes at the conclusion of the Book of Leviticus, and we read verses that delineate the blessings and curses that come to the Israelite people if they follow – or depart from [...]

One sunny November Shabbat morning Jonathan became a Bar Mitzvah. Having been the Education Director at this synagogue for more than a year, I couldn’t take credit for Jon’s accomplishments. At [...]

This week’s Torah portion, Metzora, is a challenging one, to say the least. It begins by describing steps that must be taken by the priests when they learn that someone has leprosy. The leper has [...]

Hopefully by now you know a little bit about Matan’s Dvar Torah Project. We are sharing a weekly dvar torah (word of torah) on this blog that links the parasha (torah portion) to disability [...]

Sometimes building something backwards is the most logical choice. In education, teachers often design their exam first and then create lessons that will guide students to learn the correct [...]

Like many people who are committed to inclusion, I like to share success stories. I like to talk about synagogues working to make their buildings more accessible or share stories about rabbis who [...]

If you’ll indulge me, I’d like you to take a minute and think about the different communities in which you participate. Consider your book group, your synagogue or your child’s school. Think [...]