Special Needs Shabbat Educational Program in Bucks County - Matan

Ohev Shalom of Bucks County, is offering the Celebrations! program, a family education program for children with special needs and their families- the only one in Bucks County. This free program is available to the greater Jewish community, regardless of affiliation. Offered for school aged children, 5-18 years old, this Shabbat program will be held once a month, from November through April, at 944 Second Street Pike, Richboro. Each month?s session will run from 10:30-12:00 and will feature an adapted Shabbat service, two sessions of Jewish themed sensory-based activities, and a parent discussion group. Music, movement, art, blessings, and food will be part of each session, led by a Rabbi with special education training and a special education teacher, with the assistance of trained and experienced volunteers.

All activities, language components, materials, curriculum and the environment will be specifically planned to coordinate with the special, individualized needs of the participating children. ?Many children who are differently abled have issues related to sensory input, movement or behavior restrictions, or cognitive connection, which can interfere with their experience in traditional spiritual settings. Having the freedom to respond naturally to songs and prayers, using instruments, movement and their own communication systems, will allow each child to be personally engaged?, according to Shelley Mattleman-Rubin. Rubin is a retired special education teacher who co-chairs the program at Ohev Shalom with Lindsay Miller, a speech and language pathologist, who also serves as director of an early intervention program in Bucks County. ?Our goal is to create a place for everyone who comes to our synagogue to have a meaningful experience,? Miller says. She adds, ?We?re hopeful that the Celebrations! program, which is open to both synagogue members and non-members, will draw the attention of local families and bring them back into the synagogue community and make them feel welcome in a supportive, comforting environment.?

The Celebrations! program is part of a larger initiative at Ohev Shalom called ?Inclusion B?Kavod?, which represents Kindness, Acceptance, Visibility, Opportunity and Dignity, and is exploring and creating ways to become a more inclusive community. The initiative, including the Celebrations! program has been funded through a generous joint donation of two donor families from the Ohev Shalom community.
?At the present time, we are looking for families who want to participate in our program and hope they will learn of its availability in Bucks County?, says Mattleman-Rubin.
For more information, contact Celebrations@ohev.org or call 215-399-7668.

Source: http://www.matankids.org/2012/10/06/special-needs-shabbat-educational-program-in-bucks-county-celebrations/

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