Over the past two years, we have been working to develop training materials for Jewish clergy on disability informed spiritual leadership.
We are proud to announce our inaugural series, a three-session online course focusing on disability-informed spiritual leadership for Yamim Noraim.
Disability-informed Days of Awe: A practical series for rabbis and cantors
Jews with disabilities can face insurmountable barriers to accessing Jewish community, and often feel invisible to Jewish spiritual leaders. Your leadership on the High Holy Days can repair some of this isolation. This three-session series will help you to develop your disability-informed spiritual leadership skills, reach Jews with disabilities, and build a more inclusive community.
Setting the stage for inclusivity: Planning practical accessibility and communicating welcome
This session will cover whole-synagogue considerations. We will discuss how to identify opportunities to create accessibility this year, and how to incorporate problems you encounter into long-term accessibility planning. We will also discuss methods for publicizing your accessibility, and communicating a message of welcome to Jews with disabilities who may be considering coming to services. We will also discuss common points of resistance, and ways to use your spiritual leadership role to frame accessibility as a Jewish imperative.
Speaking to your congregation: Considerations for sermons.
This session will strengthen your ability to address the spiritual concerns of Jews with disabilities in your sermon. We will cover methods for speaking with the assumption that Jews with disabilities are in the room, options for addressing disability directly, and ways in which common Yamim Noraim sermon topics can be particularly fraught for Jews with disabilities.
Praying on behalf of your community: Including your disabled congregants in your shlichut.
This session will strengthen your ability to address the spiritual concerns of Jewish with disabilities as a shaliach tzibur. We will discuss obstacles to keeping Jews with disabilities in mind in your prayer, and methods for overcoming those obstacles to form appropriate kavanah. We will discuss ways in which the themes of Yamim Noraim prayer can be particularly fraught for Jews with disabilities, and methods for framing prayer respectfully.
Registration information is available here.
Anachnu 