Lo t’kaleil cheresh; v’lifnei iver, lo titein mikshol.
Do not curse the deaf; nor put a stumbling block before the blind. - Lev. 19:14
February is Jewish Disability Awareness Month and our Temple’s Inclusion Committee, led by Jill Harris, has planned varied activities - including speakers at Friday evening services, celebrating Shabbat Shalem, an in-service for our teaching staff, and completing our application to become the first MetroWest Able Awarded congregation in Union County. In January, the Board of Trustees passed the following wording to be added to our webpage and publicity - Temple Sholom strives to be an inclusive and accessible synagogue, welcoming to all who wish to meaningfully participate in our Jewish community.
Of course, the commemoration of Jewish Disability Awareness Month does not mean we ignore those with different needs the rest of the year, but rather re-dedicate ourselves to making our congregation and community accessible to everyone. One of the joys of giving tours of our new building is showing how we have put the idea of being a no-barrier synagogue into practice. In addition to having ADA required handicapped accessible bathrooms and our audio assistance loop, the entire building is one floor, with no steps inside. Moveable chairs mean that people in wheelchairs can sit anywhere in the sanctuary. Our doors are wide-open - and wide-opening.
In the Holiness Code, which we read on the afternoon of Yom Kippur, quoted above, we are commanded not to curse the deaf, nor put a stumbling block before the blind. The simple meaning of this last phrase is that we should not take advantage of someone’s disability. The blind cannot see what we might put in front of them. The first part of the phrase takes us farther. The deaf cannot hear us when we curse them, but they do not hear our curse either. Hence we are taught not to mock someone’s disability, even if they cannot know we are doing it. I would argue, however, that the force of this verse goes even further. It is not sufficient to not behave badly to those who may be differently abled. Rather, we are challenged to give them the fairness that is available to everyone else We must help the blind to see, and the deaf to hear, if not literally, then by providing the accommodations that enable them to function in a world that is geared toward people with those abilities.
How, the, as a congregation, can we accomplish this task? We must exercise our empathy to imagine what might be a stumbling block to others, and remove it before they can trip. Rabbi Neal Gold once told me about a conversation with a colleague who said that his congregation had never needed an interpreter for the deaf to translate services, as no deaf people ever came to services. His response was, “Of course.” Why should people assume that we can accommodate them, if we have not let them know that we can and will do so?
For many years, we have worked to build our Religious School’s reputation as a place that welcomes all students, no matter what their needs or abilities. All we ask is that you bring a willingness to be a part of our community and to learn about Judaism. We have welcomed many families - but there may be many more, looking for a Jewish home, who have not yet found us. There is a stumbling block in the way. Each of us, as members of this community, need to find those stumbling blocks and remove them; clear the path to our doorway; and welcome everyone inside - not just in February, but every day of the year. If you know of any person or family who is looking for a Jewish home, but does not think there is a place for them - let us know and we will find a way to remove those barriers.
