JEWISH DISABILITY AWARENESS, ACCEPTANCE AND INCLUSION MONTH
February is Jewish Disability Awareness, Acceptance & Inclusion Month (JDAIM) and is celebrated across the world by Jewish agencies, schools and synagogues as a unified effort to raise awareness and champion the rights of individuals with disabilities. We hope that you will join us in celebrating JDAIM with an event for your community!
Why celebrate JDAIM?
Since 2009, North American Jewish Communities have been celebrating Jewish Disability Awareness Month in February. Now known as Jewish Disability Awareness, Acceptance and Inclusion Month (JDAIM), it is an opportunity to celebrate our commitment to removing barriers, celebrating diversity and connecting with our Jewish values. Making Jewish Life accessible for all is one of our most important community responsibilities. We are excited to celebrate JDAIM with the Atlanta Jewish Community!
How should we celebrate?
We encourage you to host an event that best serves your community. Here are a few ideas and resources. Stumped? Let us know and we can help you brainstorm!
- Attend our signature event in March, Power of a Program, to celebrate inclusive programs and initiatives in the Atlanta Jewish community
- Download the JDAIM 2020 Inclusion Guide for ideas and resources
- A sensory-friendly or inclusion Shabbat or other synagogue service:
- A blog post about an inclusion Shabbat
- Ideas from URJ about congregational JDAIM programs
- An Interfaith Prayer by Rabbi Rick Jacobs – shared by Gabrielle Kaplan at Jewish Learning Ventures
- PJ Library Network program
- A list of other inclusion-related books from Rabbi Ruti Regan at Matan
- Ruderman Chabad Initiative’s Jewish Disability Inclusion Resources
- Join Community For All, an interfaith disability inclusion weekend
- Browse this mental health toolkit, a guide for faith leaders
- Facilitate discussion around a JDAIM related ELI talk for your community
- Utilize Matan’s fantastic JDAIM lesson plans in the classroom (curriculum for K-HS)
- Host a sensitivity & awareness training for your students, board, leadership or staff – free from JAA! Contact agarrett@jewishatlanta.org
- Borrow the Illustrated Torah for an interactive and multi-sensory approach to explore the Torah portions. JAA can facilitate an activity or organizations can use the accompanying curriculum. Contact Lisa: lhouben@jewishatlanta.org
- Encourage your community to attend an event – check the JAA calendar for a complete listing of events
How JAA can help…
Call us and we can help plan, talk through, or find resources for an event. Submit your JDAIM event and choose JDAIM as the category so we can share it on our calendar, social media, and the JAA Listserv.
