Special needs and the Jewish community
Where every child belongs
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PrintChani Herrman, director of New Jersey Yachad, pointed out that volunteers — dubbed “advisers” by the Orthodox Union-sponsored organization — are not the same people as those who simply attend Yachad events as participants.
The organization, whose mission is one of inclusion, sponsors events for three groups — targeting those of junior high school, senior high school, and college age. Activities are geared to both special needs and mainstream individuals of the appropriate age cohort.
Advisers, on the other hand — there are about 100 in the New Jersey region, many from this area — are not there simply to mingle. They are generally older, including college students, graduate students, and professionals in the field.
 | Tova Stern from Passaic shares a moment with Neti Linzer, a seventh- grader at the Rosenbaum Yeshiva of North Jersey. |
The difference between mainstream participants and advisers, said Herrman, is that the latter are responsible for the needs of a particular special needs individual.
“They care for particular children,” she said. “The children may need help going to the bathroom, or an older volunteer may work with them to form a behavioral plan.”
A major role of the adviser, however, is to “facilitate meaningful inclusion,” ensuring that special needs and mainstream guests interact and “have conversations together.”
Yachad does not recruit its volunteers, said Herrman.
Advisers, of both sexes, “may have a sibling with special needs, or may have come to a Yachad event through school and were moved by the experience. They may have connected with a specific individual and ask how they can follow up or participate in other events.”
“They reach out afterwards,” she said. “They find us, whether through schools,” where the group sponsors events such as Shabbatons, “or by word of mouth.” Advisers attend multiple training sessions throughout the year.
Those who serve in this capacity must be “extremely caring,” she said, “somebody who is able to make a commitment.” The best volunteers, she said, come on an ongoing basis.
They must also believe “that every child belongs. If you have that in your heart, you’ll make a good volunteer,” she said.
“Many of them come and say, ‘I’m here to give,’ but they end up walking away with so much more. As much as they are giving, they are also receiving.”
In addition, advisers do not have to have any prior experience with special needs individuals, said Herrman. “They just have to be willing to come and have fun.”
“At Yachad events, everyone is a participant and everyone has something to contribute,” said Herrman. “In fact, as our participants get older, we encourage them to go out into their communities and volunteer. It’s important for them to give back to their own communities in a meaningful way. For some, it can be packaging meals for the needy or visiting the sick. We believe that individuals with special needs can make the best volunteers: They are sensitive, caring, eager to do a good job, and willing to make a commitment.”
While sponsored by the OU, Yachad, founded in 1983, serves the entire community, and its volunteers come from all denominations, Stern said. For further information, e-mail the New Jersey director at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
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The more than 850 people who attended the Sinai Schools dinner this past Sunday witnessed the launch of the school’s new animation campaign.
According to managing director Sam Fishman — whose front-row seat enabled him to watch the faces of guests viewing the animated story — reaction to the piece was “overwhelmingly positive.”
“At first, they didn’t know what to make of it,” he said, noting that the feature — something he had dreamed of making for a long time — depicts the journey of a child from despair to hope. Held back by learning disabilities, the force of stigma, and the high costs of special education, he ultimately finds Sinai, here personified by an adult character with a strong resemblance to Dean Yisrael Rothwachs.
Friendship Circle: Filling ‘social need’ with teens’ hel
Zeesy Grossbaum, director of the Friendship Circle of Bergen County, estimates that the Chabad-sponsored group has some 600 volunteers helping to fulfill its mission. “We’re a social organization for kids with special needs,” she said. “We don’t offer professional therapy or schooling, but try to fill a social need.”
Volunteers — from seventh grade and up — visit children at home and participate in specially designed Sunday programs, whether sports, music, arts, or cooking. They might also help out with the at-home birthday parties the club arranges for its young members.
Working as part of Friends of Lubavitch of Bergen County, the club no longer has to recruit helpers.
A guide to available resources
With the availability of better screening techniques, the number of children diagnosed with special needs as early as age three has increased astronomically. So has the cost of treatment and education — estimated to be in the billions. Health insurance companies are being flooded with claims from families with special-needs children, and have different out-of-pocket health expenditures depending on the state, says Julie Holmquist, spokesman for the PACER Center, an advocacy group for families of children with disabilities.
That is why parents need to educate themselves about available resources and how to advocate for their children. As one Bergen County parent advises: “Nobody sits you down and gives you a plan to follow to best address your child’s issues; it’s up to you to research, network, and advocate for your child.”
The crushing costs
More than 13.5 million children under the age of 18 in the United States have special health care needs, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. That translates into nearly one in every five households with at least one child requiring costly specialized education, medical care and related services.
These children’s needs may range from such chronic medical illnesses as diabetes or cerebral palsy, to such emotional or behavioral health problems as autism, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), sensory impairments, or learning disabilities.
The ratio of special-needs children in Jewish households is likely no higher than the national average. However, the financial stakes and personal sacrifices can be far greater for parents wrestling with ways to provide their children with a suitable educational and social environment within a Jewish communal framework.
