Washington Hebrew Congregation has created a welcoming environment for everyone at synagogue, regardless of their abilities. For Jennifer Berzok, that meant a religious school inclusive of her son, Ben, who is severely disabled by autism.
The Reform temple provided college students who shadowed Ben, now 20, in the classroom and made sure he was meaningfully engaged, said Berzok, a lawyer working in health care policy.
Many learning opportunities came his way and milestones were reached.
“The cantor worked with him at the time of his bar mitzvah. It was above and beyond anything we had expected to create,” said Berzok, who serves on the board of Washington Hebrew Congregation.
Berzok is not alone in her efforts to prepare the world for a young man like Ben, who reads and does math at a first-grade level.
One in 36 children are now affected by autism, according to the National Autism Association, which recognizes April as Autism Awareness Month.
Individuals with autism typically have difficulties in verbal and nonverbal communication, social interactions and leisure or play activities. While there are meaningful opportunities for disabled youth in the Jewish community, Berzok worries about the challenges Ben faces now that he has entered adulthood. She wonders how the community can help him navigate new pathways.
“It was easier when he was young because kids don’t necessarily notice differences,” she said. “I think a lot of places haven’t thought enough about young adults with autism. Just to say our space is open to everybody is really not enough.”
Jewish community centers are making strides to include children and teens with autism. The Pozez JCC in Northern Virginia runs year-round social skills programs for disabled children through age 15.
“It’s really beneficial for the children and parents,” said Alison Pasternak, the inclusion and disability services program coordinator for the JCC in Fairfax. “The students work together on communication, playing together, sharing, taking turns — many skills that need practice.”
The JCC also offers inclusive sports programs: soccer in the fall and spring and basketball in the winter. Over the summer, a day camp accommodates kids with autism and other disabilities.
“It’s our mission to look at the humanity of all people,” said Pasternek, whose JCC summer camp enrolls children, teens and young adults up to age 27. “People with disabilities are just as important and equal as everyone else. They deserve to have all the different activities as everyone else.”
Caroline Girgenti, a Pozez JCC social skills instructor, said that young people with autism see the world and approach it differently. “The challenge is meeting them where they are, seeing their perspective and finding a way to work with that and expand it to help them understand how other people might be seeing the situation.”
Lisa Handelman is director of inclusion and belonging at the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington. She sees to it that those with disabilities “are part of our vibrant Jewish life, one that is inclusive and one in which everybody has a strong sense of belonging.”
The Federation partners with several agencies that support individuals with disabilities. They run a program developed by the Matan Institute and the Lieberman Fellowship that provides disability inclusion training tailored to the specific needs of Jewish communal professionals and lay leaders.
Trainees learn that it is hard to generalize when it comes to people with autism. “There definitely is not one size fits all,” Handelman said. “One of the philosophical shifts is accepting each individually and seeing how they process information or sensory input. I think that’s actually good for all children, but with autism, the need to do it is heightened.”
The Federation also partners with Sulam, an independent school for the inclusion of students with diverse learning styles. Sulam works with students with disabilities, including autism, in several Jewish day schools.
There is a range of responses from synagogues, said Handelman, who also works with congregations. “A lot of them are really responsive and accommodating,” she said. “When we first started, we were talking about why it’s important to be welcoming and inclusive. Now I would say the vast majority of synagogues are no longer asking why it’s important. They are asking how, and some are doing an amazing job from preschool to religious school.”
Handelman said that young adults are often left out of the picture. “There are more people speaking up and, rightfully so, to be included. It’s hard for me to tell if the community is responding.”
Hannah Stoller coordinates the inclusion program at Capital Camps in Waynesboro, Pennsylvania. “Any Jewish child who wants to attend sleepaway camp will be given opportunities to do so by receiving the necessary support in the camp environment,” she said.
A counselor, 18 to 21 years old, is there for all children in a cabin, but is specifically trained to support the camper with the disability.
“We know that autism looks differently in different campers. During the year, we learn more about their needs and what we can do to help them succeed in the camp environment. We find out how the year has been, if there has been any progress and the new challenges that have come up,” said Stoller, who was an inclusion counselor for three summers. “We brainstorm solutions that we can try to implement.”
Stoller admires the ability of teen counselors to commit to knowing the complex challenges presented by each neurodivergent camper.
“Our counselors are extremely talented, and these relationships that they form are so unique and deeply impactful. It doesn’t tend to happen anywhere else.”
Ellen Braunstein is a freelance writer.
