OU to hold Shabbaton for Jewish deaf

[Miss-Delectable]

The Jewish Standard


Our Way for the Jewish Deaf and Hard of Hearing will host its 10th annual family Shabbaton from June 5 to 7 at Cong. Ahawas Achim B’nai Jacob and David in West Orange. The Shabbaton is for families with deaf and hard of hearing members, regardless of their mode of communication. The program features guest speakers, Shabbat meals, programs for children, teens, and singles, and motzei Shabbat entertainment. Activities will be interpreted into American Sign Language.

Our Way for the Jewish Deaf and Hard of Hearing is a division of the National Jewish Council for Disabilities, an agency of the Orthodox Union, which provides social, educational, and recreational programs for Jewish youth and young adults who are deaf and hard of hearing. The cost of the Shabbaton is subsidized by NJCD.

The Shabbaton offers two housing options, private housing or at the Wilshire Grand Hotel. For information, call Batya Jacob at (212) 613-8127, jacobb@ou.org">jacobb@ou.org, or Yachad | The National Jewish Council for Disabilities.

 

[Dixie]

Kudos to the Jewish for recognizing the needs of the deaf within their own ethnic group!

 

[Bottesini]

Kudos to the Jewish for recognizing the needs of the deaf within their own ethnic group!

But it is isolated. The track record from the dawn of Judaism is not great regarding the deaf.

What does one of our Holy Books, the Talmud (written over 2,000 years ago) say about our status as Deaf Jews? In the Talmud, it says that lunatics, children and deaf people CANNOT take an active part in performing many of the Commandments. They were prohibited to enter into contracts, buy or sell property and getting married. In the Talmud, "Deaf Mute" - Mute means can't speak or read. To those Rabbis who have never been exposed to a Deaf Jew or have an understanding of Deaf Awareness, still follow this Talmud law. The Hebrew word for deaf mute is "Heresh".

EXCLUDED
In Maryland, Deaf Orthodox Rabbi, Fred Friedman went to a Temple. There were ten men present which would make a minyan possible. However, the people continued to wait. Rabbi Fred Friedman decided to ask them what they were waiting for and was told, "You are not counted in the minyan." It happened in the early 1980'

Deaf Jew in the Jewish Community