Category: Inclusion

Working with the inclusion and disability community is more than just a job for me—it’s a passion that has shaped my professional life for over 15 years. From the moment I started teaching social skills classes at the Pozez JCC, I knew I had found a space where I could make a genuine impact. My goal has always been to empower individuals to build meaningful connections, but what I’ve discovered is that my students have taught me just as much as I’ve taught them.

A great deal has been written and studied about the importance of social connections for a person’s well-being. However, many Autistic and Neurodivergent people face unique challenges in developing these skills. The nuances of social interaction, such as interpreting nonverbal cues or engaging in small talk, can be intimidating, making it hard to form meaningful relationships with neurotypical peers and thrive in a neurotypical world. For these reasons, the Pozez JCC offers social skills classes to develop and practice these essential life skills.

Social skills classes for children and teens are held weekday evenings and Sunday afternoons throughout the school year. The groups are designed for children and teens ages 3-15 who have been diagnosed with autism, ADHD, or who, for other reasons, have been observed and assessed to benefit from direct instruction to support their social/emotional development. The purpose of these groups is to strengthen fundamental social skills and foster social-emotional learning through active play and recreation. 

The different classes are separated by age. There is also a class just for adolescent girls. Some topics covered in the classes include self-acceptance, self-advocacy, coping with emotions, developing and maintaining friendships, and responding to verbal and non-verbal cues in social situations.

Classes are individualized to meet the needs and interests of the students in each session, and therefore, each class and session is unique. The philosophy of each class is grounded in the CASEL framework, which views social emotional learning as foundational to education and development and suggests it is comprised of 5 core competency areas, including self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision making. Each topic discussed in JCC’s social groups is designed to target one or more of these competency areas. Topics are introduced and reinforced through the use of stories, media examples, and interactive games. Opportunities for kids to build their sense of self and skills related to self-expression through interactive art and play are offered each week.  Additionally, participants are encouraged to apply what they learn each week at home by completing a weekly take-home challenge. Ultimately, it is the goal that every student who comes to social skills classes at the JCC feels that they are safe, welcomed, and belong so that, in this space, they may build confidence and learn specific language and strategies that they can then apply in their lives at school and the wider community. 

Having been involved in the neurodiversity space for over 15 years, I consider teaching these groups one of my most rewarding experiences. There are several students who come back every session and really experience a sense of belonging and community in these groups. I have had parents report that they have seen improvements with their ability to interact positively with their peers at school as well as their abilities to notice and appropriately act and advocate to meet their own needs throughout the school day. As much as I take pride in what I have been able to teach these students, I am constantly humbled by how much they teach me. These students are resilient, intelligent, creative, humorous, and energetic. It is my sincere pleasure to collaborate with them and their families to ensure that they are able to fully convey their many strengths to those fortunate enough to share in their social space. 

Support the Program

The Pozez JCC’s inclusion and disabilities services program provides crucial support to neurodivergent individuals, helping them build essential social skills and find a sense of belonging. Your contribution today will directly support these life-changing opportunities, helping us continue to provide a safe and welcoming space where every individual can feel valued and connected. Donate

Camp Kesher is filling a gap that’s all too common for neurodiverse youth: a lack of accessible, joyful, age-appropriate summer experiences.

A day camp that celebrates and embraces differences, Kesher blends adventure, skill-building, and real-world learning to help participants thrive, all in a safe, inclusive environment.

Each morning, campers meet at the J before setting off on a field trip.

“Whether it’s paddle boating, yoga, or creating their own ice cream flavor at a shop that employs people with disabilities, every activity is designed to be both meaningful and fun,” says Zina Segal, Senior Director of Community Impact and Engagement.

These carefully planned, fun-filled experiences also help campers practice life skills, like ordering food and navigating social situations, all in a supportive, low-pressure environment. Camp Kesher offers different sessions for high school and young adult participants, ensuring age-appropriate programming for every camper.

“They’re learning to move through the world more independently,” Zina adds. “And they’re doing it with peers, not parents, which builds their confidence. So many programs are centered around the disability, but Kesher is centered around the person. It’s about joy, friendship, and discovering what’s possible when you’re surrounded by people who see your strengths.”

Susan Clay, whose daughter Sara attends the young adult session, says that Kesher has been life-changing for her family.

“We plan our whole year around it,” she says. “At this age, especially in their twenties, young adults with disabilities still want to be active. They still want to make friends. Without Kesher, those opportunities just don’t exist.”

Sara found her love for yoga at camp and now attends a weekly adaptive yoga class.

“She’s also made real friends who she stays in touch with all year,” Susan adds. “It would be so easy for somebody like Sara to settle into isolated routines, but when she can engage in socialization for those two weeks during summer, that really encourages her to keep being social throughout the year.”

This kind of excitement is a sign of success, says Alison Pasternak, who serves as the J’s Inclusion and Disability Services Program Coordinator.

“If they’re having fun and forming friendships, we’ve done our job,” she says.

Campers also get to hone their communication and social skills through experiences like turn-taking at lunch or expressing preferences to a server, Alison says. Camp Kesher provides the prime, low-stress place to do so while having a good time.

“A lot of services for teens and young adults are focused on job readiness or therapy, which are important, but fun and recreation matter too,” she says. “Our campers need a space where they can just be themselves and enjoy their summer.”

The sense of belonging at Camp Kesher is why Rachel Berger and her son Ben return summer after summer. 

“Ben has the chance to go out into the community and do the kinds of things that most teens do with their friends,” Rachel explains. “If not for Camp Kesher, he wouldn’t have had the support and supervision to enjoy those experiences without his parents.”

Ben, who’s ready to enter his third summer at Kesher, looks forward to camp every day. He even researches upcoming field trips on YouTube to prepare for the fun ahead.

“As Ben moves from a high school student to a young adult, his experiences at Kesher are helping him in his internships and as he engages in the community,” Rachel says.

Even former campers remember and credit the program with helping them become more confident in social settings. Graham Sage, now 18, is one of them. 

After two years at Kesher in 2022-2023, he’s returning this summer to the J as a shadow counselor for elementary school campers, ready to support other neurodiverse children in the same way he was once supported.

“Kesher means ‘connection’ in Hebrew, and that’s what this was about: developing deeper bonds through travel and field trips,” he says.

Camp Kesher is bringing summer fun to neurodiverse high schoolers and young adults — the kind of fun they need and deserve.

“It’s reassuring to know these kids can enjoy fun activities for a couple of weeks during summer in a safe environment with caring staff,” says Caroline Pak, whose son Ryan has been attending Kesher for three summers. “It’s hard for working parents to find something for older kids with special needs to do that’s not just video games.”

Diagnosed early with ASD and ADHD, Ryan struggled to fit into traditional camp models. He eventually started attending Kesher at the J, a place he already spent so much of his time, starting when he was a preschooler.

“At Camp Kesher, Ryan has learned to cooperate with others in group settings and has become more confident reaching out to neurotypical peers at school,” Caroline shares. 

For Ryan, and so many others, Kesher is a place where they can navigate the world on their own terms, and have fun doing so. Because at Kesher, summer is more than a season. It’s a launching pad for what’s possible.

Learn more about Camp Kesher.

At a time where inclusivity is being challenged, it’s more important than ever to remember what it truly means. Building welcoming communities doesn’t require putting everyone in the same space; it requires creating the right spaces for people to thrive.

Within the setting of a Jewish communal organization, this may seem odd. Shouldn’t we be opening up all programming to all people? 

Yet true inclusion, especially for underrepresented and marginalized groups, often requires creating dedicated spaces where they can connect with others who share similar identities and experiences. These spaces serve as sanctuaries where individuals can explore their unique histories, address shared challenges, and build the trust necessary for belonging in broader communities. 

Take, for example, the integration of Russian-speaking Jews into the larger community at Pozez JCC in Northern Virginia. After the Save Soviet Jewry movement of the 1980s, Russian-speaking Jewish immigrants began arriving in large numbers to the United States. 

While the American Jewish community celebrated the freedom of their fellow Jews, they overlooked a crucial aspect of their integration: the vast cultural and historical differences between Russian-speaking Jews and American Jews.

For Russian-speaking Jews, their connection to Judaism was shaped not by synagogue attendance or holiday celebrations but by their experiences with antisemitism, the Holocaust, and a distant relationship with Israel. Many had never stepped foot in a synagogue, and their Jewish identities were formed largely through their oppression and through personal ties with family and friends, not through Jewish communal life.

The problem wasn’t merely a language barrier — it was a cultural one. And one that has persisted to this day.

Only a few years ago, Pozez JCC was struggling to attract Russian-speaking families to generalized programming. The solution was creating events specifically for their community, informed by a staff member with both a Russian-speaking Jewish background and a knowledge of the larger Northern Virginia Jewish community. And through those events, we recognized their lived experiences, unique Jewish traditions, and differing needs from the American population.

These programs were not about isolating Russian-speaking Jews. We had to create a space where they could connect with others who shared their history and cultural context.

The result: Russian-speaking Jews began to perceive Pozez JCC as a welcoming place to build community. They eventually started to attend generalized programming as well, fostering greater inclusivity for all.

Having this choice to exist in either space, generalized or specialized, informs Pozez JCC’s summer camp model as well. 

Camp Achva welcomes children of varying abilities between kindergarten and 10th grade, with teens participating as counselors in training. The camp brings children and staff of diverse backgrounds, beliefs, identities and needs together in a safe place to have a summer of fun and growth. Camp Kesher offers teens and young adults with disabilities a different option, one with greater support and a more specialized environment. Further still, Sunrise Day Camp – Greater Washington supports families with children battling cancer – all at no charge.

This setup allows families to select the environment that best meets their child’s needs, highlighting a central tenet of true inclusivity: choice. The camp programs are designed to ensure that every child has a successful summer within unique definitions of success.

Part of curating dedicated spaces is also ensuring that shared spaces do not put an onus of responsibility on marginalized groups to explain their history or justify their inclusion.

For years, colorism in the Jewish community has perpetuated the false belief that Jews are inherently white. This stereotype overlooks the vast spectrum of Jewish identity, and this erasure particularly impacts Jews of Color, who often face both racism and antisemitism. 

Not only must they navigate the challenges of both identities, but they are often expected to educate others about what it means to be a Jew of Color. This type of emotional labor is exhausting, especially when these individuals already have to fight for recognition of their Jewish identity.

Turning this individualized effort into a community-run educational opportunity signals that members of underrepresented communities have allies and that they belong. In September 2024, Pozez hosted The Abayudaya: Portrait of an African Jewish Community, a photo exhibit by Samantha Rose Mandeles featuring powerful images of the Abayudaya Jewish community in Uganda and Kenya.

The exhibit gave the larger Jewish community an opportunity to learn about Judaism in Africa in a space where everyone, whether familiar with Jewish diversity or not, could engage with a different aspect of Jewish identity, expanding cultural understanding in the pursuit of inclusion for Jews of Color.

To be sure, creating space for people to express multiple Jewish identities is not easy. It takes time, energy and resources. But if Jewish communal organizations are going to expand their outreach and serve all Jews, they need to think creatively about inclusivity.

In this spirit of solidarity, we call upon other Jewish organizations to join us in adopting these practices, acknowledging cultural distinctions and promoting cultural competence. When we respect the importance of choice and space for each community, we create a foundation for greater understanding and unity within the broader Jewish community.

LaNitra Berger serves as a board member of Pozez JCC and works as the Senior Director of the Office of Fellowships and Associate Director of the African and African American Studies Program at George Mason University.

Greg Feitel serves as the School-Age Services Director at Pozez JCC.

Zina Segal serves as the Senior Director of Community Impact and Engagement at Pozez JCC.