Disabilities Resources
The Greater Boston Jewish community provides programs and services to ensure that ALL Jews are welcome and valued. It is our communal responsibility to open our doors to create and enhance opportunities for those who have so often felt left out.
Community Resources
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Job Training
Jewish Vocational Service offers job training and placement services for individuals with disabilities. -
Prayer and Ritual Tools
Gateways offers tools for learning and performing prayers and rituals tailor made for children with special needs. -
How Inclusive is Your Synagogue?
Use this guidebook from Jewish Family & Children's Service to evaluate a range of physical characteristics, practices and attitudes that can make your synagogue community a welcoming place for people with disabilities and support their full inclusion.

February is Jewish Disability Awareness Month, an international effort to raise awareness and foster inclusion of people with disabilities and their families in Jewish communities worldwide.
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- EDITOR'S PICKS
- UPCOMING
- NEAR ME
Mon
Jun
Jun
24
6:30PM - 8:30PM
Chaverim Shel Shalom Nosh & Learn: Movie Night
Jewish Family & Children's Service
Brookline, MA
Cost:
FREE -
Registration is required.
Chaverim Shel Shalom (Friends of Peace) is a social program for Jewish adults with psychiatric challenges that meets monthly. Activities range from movie nights and torah studies to other social... Read More
Listed in:
Family Services | Special Needs
Thu
Jun
Jun
27
10:30AM - 11:30AM
Chaverim Shel Shalom Munch & Learn: Jewish Music Festival
Jewish Family & Children's Service
Brookline, MA
Cost:
FREE -
Registration not required.
Chaverim Shel Shalom (Friends of Peace) is a social program for Jewish adults with psychiatric challenges that meets monthly. Activities range from movie nights and torah studies to other social... Read More
Listed in:
Family Services | Special Needs
Sat
Jun
Jun
29
7:00PM - 9:30PM
Have-Deli Havdalah
Temple Emunah
Lexington, MA
Cost:
$10.00
- Registration is required.
Cost is $10/adult, $8/kid, with a family cap of $36.
Cost is $10/adult, $8/kid, with a family cap of $36.
Join us on Saturday, June 29th, as we celebrate the waning moments of Shabbat with songs, games, and our Rabbi Fel's gourmet "Deli Roll." We'll start with Minhah at 7:00pm,... Read More
Listed in:
Music | Shabbat | Teens | College | 20s & 30s | Forty plus | Family Friendly | Singles & Dating | GLBT | Russians | Interfaith Couples & Families | Israelis | Women | Seniors | Kosher | Wheelchair Accessible | Special Needs | Adults | Everyone | Families | Free Parking | Food | Newcomers
Sat
Jul
Jul
06
11:00AM - 12:30PM
Tot Shabbat
Temple Emunah
Lexington, MA
Cost:
FREE -
Registration not required.
Tot Shabbat is a monthly Shabbat experience for families with young children (ages 0—5), from 11:00am—noon. We sing, pray, hear stories, march with the Torah, and more! After services we... Read More
Listed in:
Shabbat | Infants & Toddlers | Children | Family Friendly | Interfaith Couples & Families | Israelis | Kosher | Wheelchair Accessible | Special Needs | Everyone | Families | Free Parking | Newcomers
Wed
Jul
Jul
10
12:45PM - 1:15PM
Watermelon Wednesdays
Temple Emunah
Lexington, MA
Cost:
FREE -
Registration not required.
Join Rabbi Lerner and Rabbi Fel for ice-cold watermelon and a story! We will meet for a half-hour after lunch (12:45-1:15pm) on the following Wednesdays: July 10th, 17th, 31st, and... Read More
Listed in:
Books & Literature | Open Houses | Infants & Toddlers | Children | Family Friendly | Interfaith Couples & Families | Israelis | Women | Kosher | Wheelchair Accessible | Special Needs | Everyone | Families | Free Parking | Newcomers
Wed
Jul
Jul
17
12:45PM - 1:15PM
Watermelon Wednesdays
Temple Emunah
Lexington, MA
Cost:
FREE -
Registration not required.
Join Rabbi Lerner and Rabbi Fel for ice-cold watermelon and a story! We will meet for a half-hour after lunch (12:45-1:15pm) on the following Wednesdays: July 10th, 17th, 31st, and... Read More
Listed in:
Books & Literature | Shabbat | Open Houses | Infants & Toddlers | Children | Family Friendly | Interfaith Couples & Families | Israelis | Kosher | Wheelchair Accessible | Special Needs | Everyone | Families | Free Parking | Newcomers
Wed
Aug
Aug
07
12:45PM - 1:15PM
Watermelon Wednesdays
Temple Emunah
Lexington, MA
Cost:
FREE -
Registration not required.
Join Rabbi Lerner and Rabbi Fel for ice-cold watermelon and a story! We will meet for a half-hour after lunch (12:45-1:15pm) on the following Wednesdays: July 10th, 17th, 31st, &... Read More
Listed in:
Books & Literature | Open Houses | Infants & Toddlers | Children | Family Friendly | Interfaith Couples & Families | Israelis | Kosher | Wheelchair Accessible | Special Needs | Families | Free Parking | Newcomers
Sun
Nov
Nov
24
4:00PM - 6:00PM
Sweet Sounds 2013
Gateways: Access to Jewish Education
Brookline, MA
Cost:
Unknown
- Registration is not available yet.
Save the date for Sweet Sounds 2013, an afternoon of jazz and chocolate. Join us in supporting our programs that make Jewish education possible for all Jewish children. Hear personal... Read More
Listed in:
Music | Organizational Events | Family Services | Kosher | Special Needs | Adults | Free Parking
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- EDITOR'S PICKS
- RECENT
Featured
Graduations, Transitions, and Hiring
Graduation season is here and young adults worldwide transition from educational pursuits to search for jobs and careers with meaning and purpose. This is true...
Read More
Posted in:
Lifecycles
Birthright Israel Special-Needs Trips
Taglit-Birthright Israel believes that it is the birthright of every Jewish person to visit Israel. That is why we are committed to ensuring that young...
Read More
Posted in:
Israel & Overseas
Featured
Shabbat of the Month Club: Q&A with Mark Friedman of Triangle Inc.
Wondering how JewishBoston.com packs and ships 720 Shabbat of the Month Club boxes every month? Meet Mark Friedman, the man behind the box! Mark is...
Read More
Posted in:
Personal Stories
Project Based Learning at Temple Chayai Shalom
Education at Temple Chayai Shalom is SULAM – a Source for Understanding Learning, And Meaning – an opportunity to put Jewish wisdom in to practice...
Read More
Posted in:
Kids & Parenting
Making a House a Home
“This changes everything in her life. Now she can live on her own, independently, for the rest of her life.” - Bruce, father of a...
Read More
Posted in:
Community News
Rubin's Deli welcomes adults with disabilities with open arms
I am Judy Pearl and I am the Director of Special Needs Services for the Jewish Community Centers of Greater Boston. On Sunday, April 21, I...
Read More
Posted in:
Personal Stories
Disabled Individuals Bring Innovation to the Workforce
By Jay Ruderman, President, The Ruderman Family Foundation As the U.S. disabled population grows amidst increasing challenges to American economic competitiveness on the world stage,...
Read More
Posted in:
Personal Stories
Yoga for Everyone at JF&CS
Starting a fitness program can be a difficult and daunting endeavor. With the demands of work, family, and the challenges of everyday life, a fitness...
Read More
Posted in:
Community News
Hoops Star Scores for "Disabled"
Last month, a story showed up in newspapers and on television screens across America about a remarkable high school senior with severe disabilities playing varsity...
Read More
Posted in:
Personal Stories
An Inclusive Shabbat Experience
By: Rabbi Michael Fel, Temple Emunah (This post about an inclusive Shabbat service that makes everyone of every ability feel welcome and involved originally...
Read More
Posted in:
Social Activism
1-10 of 22
- Distance
- Name
Congregation Kehillath Israel
We are a Conservative synagogue with a membership of 400 family units. We provide religious, educational and cultural programming across all age groups. KI promotes a Judaism that is morally... Read More
Gateways: Access to Jewish Education
Gateways believes every Jewish child deserves a Jewish education. By enabling students with special needs to access Jewish learning, we offer families the opportunity to become fully engaged in the... Read More
Listed in:
Social Services | Volunteering | People with Disabilities | Special Education | Children's Services
Jewish Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Boston
Jewish Big Brothers Big Sisters, New England's oldest youth mentoring agency, enriches the lives of children, their families, and adults with disabilities, by establishing and supporting one to one friendships... Read More
MetroWest Jewish Day School
MetroWest Jewish Day school is a pluralistic co-ed day school welcoming students from 20-plus MetroWest communities in kindergarten to grade 8. The school offers a challenging and integrated academic program.... Read More
Listed in:
Day Schools | Special Education
Temple Shalom
Temple Shalom is a diverse and inclusive Reform congregation that has served Newton and the surrounding towns for over 60 years. Our member families include young families, interfaith, LGBTQ, empty-nesters... Read More
Jewish Family Service of Metrowest
Strengthening Lives, Building Community. Jewish Family Service of Metrowest (JFS) provides vital social, health and community services to alleviate suffering, enhance lives and support people in need. Our programs include:... Read More
Listed in:
Social Services | Volunteering | Family Service | People with Disabilities | Elder Services | Children's Services | Adoption Resources
Jewish Community Centers of Greater Boston
The Jewish Community Centers of Greater Boston’s contributions to Jewish life can be found in a range of communities and settings: at the Leventhal-Sidman JCC campus in Newton; in the... Read More
Chabad Center at Chestnut Hill
Chabad at Chestnut Hill welcomes Jews from every background, observance level, and affiliation. Our goal is to encourage study, commitment and Jewish pride. Our Center is a meeting place for... Read More
URJ Eisner and Crane Lake Camps
Through the years, Crane Lake Camp has offered thousands of youngsters the chance to develop lasting relationships, embrace new experiences, and explore what being Jewish means to them. We invite... Read More
Friendship Circle of Greater Boston
The Friendship Circle extends a helping hand to families who have children with special needs and involves them in a full range of Jewish and social experiences. The Circle's unique... Read More
Listed in:
People with Disabilities





