It is the second year that the British Friends of ALEH’s have taken the initiative to bring JDAIM and its key messages to the Jewish community in the UK. This exciting campaign has kicked off this January with a brilliant inclusion workshop for teens together with Project ImpACT and Kisharon.
As part of this exciting campaign, the BFOA have launched the new ‘ALEH Bechinuch’ (literally “ascension through education”) disability inclusion programming for Primary Schools in the UK. The programme teaches students about the importance of disability inclusion and accessibility via interactive educational modules and “disability challenges. It is aiming to bring about a change in societal attitude towards individuals with disabilities, and we teach the children to honour the different gifts and strengths that we all possess, alongside the importance of fostering diversity and inclusion.
The ALEH Bechinuch curriculum was developed from ALEH’s groundbreaking ‘Tikkun Olam’ program, a year-long educational experience that exposes Israeli primary school and high school students to peers with disabilities and imparts the importance of acceptance and inclusion through lectures, workshops and hands-on volunteering opportunities. Since 2016, more than 100,000 students of all ages across Israel from mixed demographic and religious backgrounds have participated in this program, leading to a noticeable spike in youth-led volunteerism and social activism initiatives. Understanding the program’s unique ability to reach and mobilise youth into disability advocates, ALEH developed a modular, English-language version of the program for schools in the UK and North America.
“The disability inclusion programming developed by ALEH has been tremendously successful in both educating students about disabilities and empowering them to move their communities forward, and we felt that it was our responsibility to share this exceptional program with the world,” said Sarah Herskowitz, ALEH’s Director of Public Relations and International Relations.“By implementing the ALEH Bechinuch modules in their classrooms during JDAIM, these schools will harness the power of education to open hearts and minds, positively impact the Jewish community and society at large, and help make true disability inclusion a reality.” We invite the Jewish community in the UK to join ALEH in its important campaign towards Tikun-Olam! Click here to support us in creating a more caring world: aleh.org.uk/jewish-disability-awareness-inclusion-month/
