Category: Inclusion

February marks Jewish Disability Awareness and Inclusion Month (JDAIM). While inclusion is a priority every day at the J, we’re celebrating this month with a group of programs that shine the light on our disability community and the professionals who make those programs into successes.

One of those professionals is Zina Segal, our Senior Director of Community Impact and Engagement. We sat down with her for a conversation about her role overseeing our Inclusion and Disabilities program, what inclusion means to her, and the incredible impact of the programs she organizes.

1. What motivated you to pursue a career in the disability and inclusion space, particularly within the Jewish community?

I can’t say that I dreamed of becoming a Jewish professional as a child. In fact, I actually wanted to go into IT and my first BA and MA ‘s were for applied computer technologies in art and culture. But during my college years in Russia, I became very active with the Jewish community. For the decade after college, I stayed in St. Petersburg, and I wound up helping to open the first reform congregation in the city because I felt like my spiritual and communal needs weren’t being met by the Chabad synagogue. The inclusion of people with more diverse backgrounds into Jewish communal life appealed to me.

After moving to the States, I got a job at the Center for Jewish Education in Baltimore, where I began creating specific programming for Russian-speaking Jews because I could see they were present in the city, but they didn’t have any programming that acknowledged their identity and culture. Fast forward three years and now I work at Pozez, still following my calling to create spaces within Jewish communities that didn’t exist before or that weren’t as developed as I would want them to be.

2. What does inclusion mean to you?

You need to have representation so that people see themselves in what you’re doing. We need specific spaces for different identities and backgrounds and we need education because people do have assumptions about other groups. Even when they mean well, without education, it creates tensions.

3. Tell us about a J initiative that has positively impacted people with disabilities.

I was recently at the J last Sunday and I stepped into the gym where the adaptive sports basketball game was taking place. The whole gym was filled – there must’ve been over 100 people there. There were kids and their buddies playing the game, parents socialising and watching, and coaches on the sidelines. Everyone was having fun. It was just phenomenal.

Our adaptive sports programs are always sold out, with waiting lists. To offer kids a space to come into that is safe for them, both physically and psychologically, is so important, and there’s such a need for it in the community.

4. During JDAIM, how are you spreading awareness and education about the disability community?

At Pozez JCC, Jewish Disability Awareness and Inclusion Month is every month of the year because we really do prioritize adaptive and educational programming. But in February, something special we’re doing is our Reelabilities Film Festival, which showcases films about the disability community and/or made by members of the disability community. For the first 10 days of the festival, we’ve already had 288 people participate across the whole DMV area, which is amazing.

These films highlight struggles that are specific to those with disabilities and also struggles that are just human challenges that we all face. The festival is a form of education and a way to uplift lesser-heard voices, and the more people who learn about the different life experiences that exist in this world, the better.

Looking to celebrate JDAIM? Learn more about our Inclusion and Disabilities program or register for the Reelabilities Film Festival.

You probably are aware that the month of February is Black History Month and the importance of learning about Black history and culture. The month of February is also Jewish Disability Awareness Acceptance and Inclusion Month, JDAIM, and it is equally important to learn about and advocate for the rights of people with Disabilities. The month serves to amplify and celebrate the communities. JDAIM highlights that the Jewish Disability community needs to not just be accepted and included in all Jewish life and practices, but that they belong and are an integral part of the community. This is not just for one month of the year, but year-round.

JDAIM grew out of the Jewish Special Education International Consortium’s effort to raise awareness and foster inclusion of Jewish people with Disabilities. The first Jewish Disability Awareness Acceptance and Inclusion Month was first celebrated during the month of February 2009. It was started to ensure that Jews with disabilities are valued and included in all aspects of Jewish life. The Disability community is the largest minority group and estimated to be about 15% of the world’s population. It is also a group that you may become a part of even if you were not born into it, as can be the case with Judaism. It is estimated that 1 in 4 adults in the United States will have a disability at some point during their life.

Judy Heumann, of blessed memory, an international leader in the Disability Rights Movement who fought for Jewish disability access and for the rights and dignity of all disabled people, wrote in her memoir Being Heumann, “I was who I was meant to be. If you were to acquire a disability tomorrow, it would be a change, but I can tell you this: it wouldn’t have to be a tragedy. We are all human. Why do we see disability differently from any other aspect of being human?”

One important aspect of Inclusion and Disability Services here at the Pozez JCC is to foster community. Our programs are a place where people of all ages both learn to make friends and come together to socialize with them. Often, the connections made here have turned into close-knit friendships. Throughout the month of February, our Bodzin Art Gallery is featuring, “Joyful Color” showcasing the bold artwork of Sophia Pineda, a talented artist who has Down Syndrome. Her works are very popular here at the J. If you have shopped at the Inclusion and Disability Services holiday sale over the years, you will recognize her art and bold style from her cards and small pieces that she sells every year at the sale.

In her book, “Demystifying Disability,” Emily Ladau talks about how to be an ally. She quotes podcaster Kyle Khachadurian who said, “Of course disabled people want to be treated like everyone else, but when we say that we don’t mean treat everyone the same. We mean recognize our humanity and meet us where we are at.”