JFS Perspectives

Thank you to everyone who attended the fifth annual Jewish Disabilities Awareness Day and Family Resource Fair on January 27 hosted by the Jewish Disabilities Network! More than 200 guests were inspired by keynote speaker, Denver's own Tricia Downing who shared her incredible story. In one instant, she went from being a competitive cyclist to a paraplegic requiring a wheelchair. Tricia has overcome adversity and learned what it takes to perform at the top of her game. Having made the transition from ablebodied cyclist to an athlete with a disability, Tricia knows the true meaning of the words challenge and change, and has learned a wealth of lessons to deal with the obstacles we all face in reaching for our personal goals.



Attendees also gained valuable information from the Family Resource Fair,  participated in a collaborative art project, and enjoyed a dessert reception catered by Shalom Cares.

The event was well-received. Below are some of the comments from our evaluation forms:

“Tricia Downing presentation was great. I enjoyed the entire event.”
“Great program. Very informative!”
“Wonderful program!”
"Tricia was amazing, captivating.”
“I got great information on resources available.”

Learn more, view photos, and download the list of resource fair vendors...

Please tag yourselves in the photos on Facebook! Thank you to Howard Lutz for volunteering his time to take photos.



Thank you to our committee who made this event possible: Robin Fleischmann and Mark Greenberg, co-chairs; Inna Ermakov, John Kayser, Lynn Rubenstein, Alaina Green, Arnie Kover, Jane E. Rosenbaum, Sheryl Goodman, Emily Kieval, and Travis Wilson.

If you attended, please leave your comments about the event!

-Alaina Green and Kari Alpen, JFS Marketing Department

Join us for Jewish Disabilities Awareness Day and Family Resource Fair on  Sunday, January 27 from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. at the Elaine Wolf Theatre and Robert E. Loup Jewish Community Center, 350 S. Dahlia St. Presented by the Jewish Disabilities Network, this event is the cornerstone of the metro Denver Jewish community celebration of National Jewish Disability Awareness Month held in February, promoting understanding and inclusion in community life for Jewish people with disabilities.

The goals of the day, which focuses on “finding ability in disability,” are to increase awareness, in both the Jewish and general community, of the abilities and contributions of people with special needs; to honor those who care for those with disabilities; and to provide valuable resources for families and caregivers.

If you're not convinced, here are the Top 5 reasons of why you should attend!


 
5. Focus on the abilities of people with disabilities!

4. Work with other participants on a collaborative art project to create a seed mosaic of the Madawba Map of Jerusalem that will be on display after the event.

3. Gather valuable resources from more than 30 representatives from organizations offering services for people with special needs in the areas of advocacy, job training, employment, estate planning, education, socialization, respite, and more.

2. It’s a Jewish event, so of course there will be food (a dessert reception with both kosher and gluten free food)!

And the Number One Reason to Attend is...

1. Get inspired by keynote speaker, Denver’s own Tricia Downing! In one instant, on September 17, 2000, she went from being a competitive cyclist to a paraplegic requiring a wheelchair for mobility.

Plus, did we mention it's free and open to the public?

Learn more and RSVP online by January 18.

We hope to see you there!

-Alaina Green and Kari Alpen, JFS Marketing Department

Below are 18 poignant moments at Jewish Family Service from 2012. Enjoy and Happy New Year!

1. The Challenges Refugees Face in High School

High school is hard enough when you’re an American student, but what is it like when you are a refugee? Not only do refugee students have all the same challenges that Americans have – making friends, fitting in, keeping up in school, peer pressure, etc., but they have a whole other set of challenges to deal with as newcomers to this country. Our International KidSuccess therapists conduct quarterly cultural trainings for teachers and other school staff members to educate them about some of the specific challenges that students from certain countries experience and how best to work with these students. In this blog post, several students share their stories, which was very enlightening for the educators.

2. Finding Ability in Disability at Jewish Disabilities Awareness Day February 12!

 

Jewish Disabilities Awareness Day is the cornerstone of the metro Denver Jewish community’s celebration of the national Jewish Disability Awareness Month, promoting understanding and inclusion in community life for Jewish people with disabilities. Rachel Simon, an award-winning author, and Leonard E. Barrett, a member of PHAMALY (Physically Handicapped Actors & Musical Artists League), were featured at the fourth annual Jewish Disabilities Awareness Day on Sunday, February 12. Check out this year's Jewish Disabilities Awareness Day event on January 27, 2013 featuring Denver's own Tricia Downing.

3. Guest Blog by Evan Silverman: The Chain Reaction of Good

Evan Silverman has been a JFS volunteer since 2008. We first introduced you to Evan in a former blog post and he has been featured in two of our print newsletters. He is a great advocate and friend of JFS who wants to share his perspective about “the chain reaction of good” and other key ideas that have guided him along his journey in life. Whenever Evan writes a blog post for JFS, we get more comments than ever. What a popular guy!!

4. El Teatro Performs at JFS!

 

In February, Greeley’s El Teatro (a multilingual theater company) performed "OUR STORIES," a multilingual play written and performed by Greeley refugee and immigrant high school students, at JFS. The theater group was touring Denver and as part of our International KidSuccess program, we invited educators and supporters of refugee services to this performance.

5. SHALOM Denver in the News!

We had quite an eventful week in March 2012! While there are always exciting things happening in our agency on a daily basis, this post talks about a SHALOM Denver news story, BBYO Hunger Games screening event, and a farewell to one of our long-time coworkers, Amy Wood.

6. Chag Sameach Pesach (Happy Passover)!

 

Through the Community Passover Program, Jewish Family Service and the Synagogue Council of Greater Denver provide families in need with all the kosher-for-Passover items they need to prepare a Seder. We start the process of getting things ready for this program many months in advance, including collecting food and monetary donations from the community.

7. Spotlight on Citizenship Volunteer

In May, we highlighted a very special volunteer in our citizenship department, Marilyn Amer. She has been a dedicated volunteer for more than 10 years who helps teach citizenship classes every week no matter what the weather or circumstances.

8. May is Off to a Great Start for JFS!

In this post, we talked about another big week at JFS and SHALOM Denver, including grants from Rose Youth Foundation, the success of the JFS Executive Luncheon featuring Christopher Gardner, and a fundraiser for the Weinberg Food Pantry and Lone Soldier called “Food Fight 4 A-WEAR-NESS that Temple Sinai eighth graders held.

9. Top 10 Reasons to Attend Celebrate JFS on June 25

In our blog, we gave people 10 reasons to attend Celebrate JFS (aka Jewish Family Service's annual meeting) at the Palazzo Verdi, including meeting the new board members, honor the volunteers of the year, and to commemorate JFS's 140th anniversary and learn more about the agency's history.

10. Happy 4th of July!

At the end of June, we asked some of our staff members what Independence Day means to them, how they are spending it, or what independence means to their clients.

11. Behind the Scenes with Para-chaplains

Did you know that volunteer para-chaplains lead holiday services in more than 25 nursing homes, retirement communities, and assisted living centers in the Denver area for Shabbat, High Holy Days, Hanukkah, and Passover? These services help bring the holidays to life for hundreds of isolated members of the Jewish community who otherwise may not be able to celebrate. This year, our volunteer para-chaplains and staff are revising the service booklets for each holiday celebration.

12. The Big Reveal!

At the end of August, we hosted a cocktail reception to celebrate Elaine and Max Appels' incredible generosity in supporting the vulnerable in our community. About 40 guests came to watch the big reveal of the new sign that bears the couple's name in the atrium at Jewish Family Service and to thank Elaine and Max for supporting JFS.

13. To a Sweet New Year!

In September, we helped isolated members of our community celebrate the High Holy Days. The shofar sounded, apples were dipped into honey, and heartfelt prayers were recited at more than 30 long-term care facilities, assisted living centers, retirement communities, mental health centers, and correctional institutions in metro Denver and Boulder. Our volunteer para-chaplains and Rabbi Eliot Baskin, Jewish community chaplain, led High Holy Day services for residents of these facilities.

14. Guest Blog Post by Lynn Rubenstein: JDN Brings Sukkot to the JFS Group Home Residents

In the course of planning social activities for the Jewish Disabilities Network (JDN), we were trying to include celebrations for the JFS Group Home. We put together a calendar of events for each holiday and soon learned that the Group Home did not have a sukkah (a temporary dwelling) to celebrate Sukkot. We decided that it was very important for the residents to have a sukkah of their own.

15. Thanks for Putting the GIVING in Thanksgiving!



Thanks to the generosity of many organizations and individual donors, more than 225 families (representing nearly 700 individuals) who otherwise would not have had a Thanksgiving meal received the ingredients for a complete feast with turkey and all the trimmings from the Weinberg Food Pantry. Thank you again to Justin and Cari Levy for starting the Dorinda Levy Thanksgiving Fund, in memory of Justin’s mother. Because of this new fund, more than $6,000 in additional cash donations we received from other individuals, and extra food donations, we were able to serve nearly twice the number of families this year!

16. Walgreens Helps JFS Clients Arm Themselves Against the Flu!

Thanks to our local Walgreens on Hampden Avenue, 30 less people in Denver will be getting the flu this season! In November, Walgreens provided complimentary flu vaccine shots to our clients and staff as a community service. Some of our clients had never received a flu shot before and were very grateful for this opportunity.

17. Reel Hope 2012 Was a Great Success!

Thank you to everyone who attended Reel Hope on December 10, 2012. More than 500 attendees celebrated with honorees Elaine and Max Appel and Betsy Mordecai Heyman and Gareth Heyman and enjoyed a screening of the yet-to-be-released historical drama Emperor. We were privileged to have the producer, Gary Foster, introduce the film.

18. JFS Thanks You for Making the Holidays Bright!

In December, many generous individuals, organizations, and corporations collected holiday gifts for JFS clients. Through our Bright Holidays program, 533 individuals received hand-picked gifts such as clothing, toys, electronics, sports equipment, and other items on their wish lists.

Wishing everyone peace, love, and happiness in 2013 from Jewish Family Service!

-Alaina Green and Kari Alpen, JFS Marketing Department

In the course of planning social activities for the Jewish Disabilities Network (JDN), we were trying to include celebrations for the JFS Group Home. We put together a calendar of events for each holiday and soon learned that the Group Home did not have a sukkah (a temporary dwelling) to celebrate Sukkot. In the past, the residents went to someone’s home in the evening of the holiday to celebrate. It was not easy to transport everyone over there and many times the weather did not cooperate.

We decided that it was very important for the residents to have a sukkah of their own. We contacted Rabbi Gruenwald at Congregation HEA, who is a JFS board member, and he put the word out that we were in need of a sukkah.

Almost immediately we were offered pieces of different sukkahs as well as offers to make donations in order for us to buy one. It was getting closer to the holiday and we were not able to purchase a new sukkah. We ended up using one from the Ginsburg family, which came with the sukkah wall, the metal posts, and a bamboo top. We are so thankful to Rabbi Gruenwald and all the people who responded to our plea.

The story continues as we picked up the sukkah (no easy chore and a struggle to fit into my car). Then it was time to build it at the Group Home. The house manager, Mike, and I figured out how to build it after he went online to find the directions from the company. It actually fit very nicely together. For decorations, we used paper chains. I designed a silk painted panel for our sukkah as well as one for the Allied Jewish Apartments (AJA) and with the help of our staff, volunteers, and the JDN and AJA clients, we painted the panels and finished making the chains.



Last Sunday, September 30, my husband, Rabbi Steven Rubenstein, volunteered his time to go with me to the Group Home to help the residents celebrate. He explained the holiday’s significance, said the blessings, and then gave each participant an opportunity to shake the lulav (a palm branch, three myrtle twigs and two willow branches) and etrog (a citron).

Thank you to other staff members that were valuable to the success of this event: Arnie Kover, JFS director of disability and employment services, the Group Home manager, Mike Lobato, Travis Wilson, JDN activities assistant, and Debbie Lang, Group Home staff member. We finished the celebration with blessings over grape juice, challah, apples, and honey. The warm thanks we received from the residents and the staff made the day so special and very meaningful.

-Lynn Rubenstein, Jewish Disabilities Network program assistant

We hope you have been reading The Story of Beautiful Girl that we told you about last month as part of Jewish Disability Awareness Month and are getting excited for Jewish Disabilities Awareness Day next Sunday, February 12 from 2 to 5 at the JCC! This day promises to be fun, informative, and inspirational. We can't wait to see you there!

Learn more about this event from the flyer below and check out the full schedule.

-Alaina Green and Kari Alpen, JFS Marketing Department

 

The Jewish Disabilities Network (JDN), a program of Jewish Family Service, will host the fourth annual Jewish Disabilities Awareness Day event on Sunday, February 12 featuring Rachel Simon, award-winning author of The Story of Beautiful Girl.

Simon's new book is a fictional account of Lynnie and Homan, residents of the School for the Incurable and Feebleminded, who fall in love. Simon guides us on a 40-year journey where people with disabilities were housed in massive institutions and were mistreated and abused, to our own time, where people have a much greater opportunity to live, work, learn, play, love and worship as they choose. 

 

In preparation for this event, people from across the country are encouraged to read and discuss The Story of Beautiful Girl through a national Jewish Disability Awareness Month (JDAM) project, “JDAM Reads.”

JDAM challenges us to think about why it is so important to understand that all people have something to contribute to their communities. The act of reading allows adults and children to think critically, to develop attitudes of awareness and empathy, and to embrace Jewish values. 

A discussion guide was developed specifically to encourage readers to explore the presence of Jewish values and concepts in Simon's novel. The guide will enhance the conversations that we hope will take place in your organization, with your family, and in your book club. Download your free copy of the JDAM Reads! discussion guide.

This book is featured at Tattered Cover Book Store in January and February and will be sold at a discounted price.

-Alaina Green and Kari Alpen, JFS Marketing Department

 

On Sunday, November 6, Jewish Family Service (JFS) participated in the Jewish Federations of North America’s General Assembly (GA) Day of Service, in which hundreds of Jewish young professionals conducted hands-on service projects benefiting approximately 20 different charities in the Jewish community and the greater Denver community at-large. JFS hosted two different projects – challah baking with the Jewish Disabilities Network (JDN) at the University of Denver Hillel house and rice bagging at JFS for our refugee mental health clients.

Before volunteers dug in to each project, JFS staff spoke briefly about our agency and showed our most recent video so that participants understood a bit about the organization and who we serve. The volunteers and the agency benefited greatly from both projects!

At the Hillel house, five GA volunteers partnered with five JDN clients and their family members to make challahs that were then served at SHALOM Denver the next day at lunch time, which was a big hit! They also made extra dough for the Group Home to freeze and serve for upcoming Shabbat dinners.

Approximately 40 volunteers bagged 500 pounds of rice at JFS to be distributed to refugee families. When they were finished, they helped sort food to be placed on the Weinberg Food Pantry shelves.

Thank you to all of the dedicated volunteers and staff members who made this day a success!

-Alaina Green and Kari Alpen, JFS Marketing Department

Did you know that the Jewish Disabilities Network runs a program called Summer Magic that offers day-trips to Shwayder and the JCC Ranch Camp for campers with special needs and their volunteer teen buddies? For the last 15 years, Rita Singer has been the coordinator of this wonderful program!

Rita moved to Denver in 1994 from New York, where she was a director of a secondary special education department in a large school district. Rita has bachelor’s degree in English and Secondary Education, a master’s degree in Special and Deaf Education, and a second master’s degree in School Administration.

“I have a passion for children with special needs and always try to think of ways to include them more into Jewish life,” says Rita. “People with disabilities want the same things everyone wants: comfort, growth, socialization opportunities, and fun! I look at them holistically, at their gifts and challenges, and ask myself how I could offer them an enriched environment to help them reach their potential.”



Summer Magic Camp has a special place in Rita’s heart. She believes it provides a perfect opportunity for children with special needs and the general population to socialize in a casual environment and experience each other as peers and friends. “Familiarity brings comfort and acceptance,” Rita says. “In the beginning of the camp, the kids notice their differences more than their commonalities. By the end of the camp day, the differences have become less important and children connect at the level that transcends disability. Through the years, I have observed the moments of true social inclusion that happen at Summer Magic, and these moments are of enormous value.”



She adds, “I have seen a terrific change that has happened in the last 15 years in the Denver Jewish community in terms of inclusion of people with disabilities into Jewish life, due to the efforts of CAJE, Keshet of the Rockies, Jewish Family Service, and other agencies. The general population has many more opportunities now to be around people with disabilities and is much more sophisticated in providing accommodations that make Jewish life available to everyone. Many of us have learned the lesson that valuing inclusion and diversity makes our community stronger.”

Thank you, Rita for all you do to make the world a better place for so many people!

-Alaina Green and Kari Alpen, JFS Marketing Department

Join us for Jewish Disabilities Awareness Day this Sunday, February 27 from 2 to 5 p.m. at the Robert E. Loup Jewish Community Center, 350 S. Dahlia St. This event is the cornerstone of the metro Denver Jewish community celebration of National Jewish Disabilities Awareness Month, promoting understanding and inclusion in community life for Jewish people with disabilities. The goal of the day, which focuses on “finding ability in disability,” is to increase awareness in both the Jewish and general community around the abilities, goals, and contributions of people with disabilities.

If you're not convinced, here are a Top 10 List of why you should attend!


 
10. You might learn something and you’ll have fun doing it.

9. Work with other participants on the Hiddur Mitzvah art project to create a custom piece of Gary Rosenthal Judaica that will be on display after the event.

8. Get inspired by Ken Gordon, former Colorado Senate majority leader, who will speak about his decision to become a legal guardian for a child with autism to whom he is not related.

7. It’s a Jewish event, so of course there will be food!

6. Hear the touching account of how disability and silence shape a life from Dr. Anne Gross, author of “The Polio Journals: Lessons from My Mother.”

5. Hear about the success of the ARC Thrift Store model from Lloyd Lewis and self-advocate, Lori Espinoza, in a presentation entitled “the Heroes of Thrift.”

4. Learn more about Josh Blue, a Denver-based comedian with cerebral palsy and winner of NBC’s Last Comic Standing, as he shares his story in “Conversations with Josh Blue.”

3. View art and other achievements by community members with disabilities, including the Circle of Light Photo Project in the Singer Gallery.

2. Focus on the abilities of people with disabilities!

And the Number One Reason to Attend is...

1. It’s free and open to the public! And did we mention Josh Blue will be there?

We hope to see you there!

-Alaina Green and Kari Alpen, JFS Marketing Department

In addition to the activities listed in the poster above, participants can view the Circle of Light Photo Project in the Singer Gallery. This powerful exhibit shows photographs taken by cornea and sclera transplant recipients who captured the things they were most grateful to be able to see through their restored vision.

Learn more about Jewish Disabilities Awareness Day...

-Alaina Green and Kari Alpen, JFS Marketing Department