Every Jewish child should have the opportunity to engage in Jewish education in a way that is meaningful to them. As part of Jewish Disability Awareness, Acceptance and Inclusion Month (JDAIM), CJP is celebrating the organizations that make this possible. Every year, CJP provides grants and funding to our partners in this space, helping to ensure that they can continue to transform lives and foster inclusion and belonging for everyone.
Gateways: Access to Jewish Education is committed to ensuring that children with disabilities and diverse learning needs can participate fully in Jewish life. With expertise in special education, Gateways provides essential support for students, families, and educators, helping to create inclusive learning environments.
Cara, a Gateways’ Jewish Education Programs parent, shares her family’s journey of finding a Jewish education program that meets their children’s needs. Her story highlights the importance of inclusion and the joy of seeing every child thrive in their Jewish community.
Watch the video above and continue reading to learn more about how Gateways has opened doors for so many.
Gateways: Access to Jewish Education
“We start from a place of yes,” explains Tali Cohen Carrus, senior director of programs at Gateways, noting how this philosophy drives the organization’s approach to supporting children with disabilities and diverse learning needs.
Gateways stands at the forefront of making Jewish education accessible to all learners in the Greater Boston area. Through its three core pillars of specialized Jewish education programs, professional development, and direct day school support services, the organization’s work demonstrates that true inclusion doesn’t just benefit individuals with disabilities, but strengthens and enriches the entire community.
One of the organization’s most innovative initiatives is its B’nei Mitzvah Program, which has helped more than 100 students reach a cherished milestone. Gateways works closely with synagogues, clergy, and families to create meaningful, substantial, and individually tailored celebrations that meet students where they are and honor each child’s capabilities.
In partnership with Greater Boston’s Jewish day schools, Gateways also provides essential therapeutic and educational services, including occupational therapy, speech therapy, and mental health support. This innovative program, partially funded through public sources, allows students with disabilities to remain in Jewish day schools rather than having to choose between their Jewish education and accessing necessary services in public schools.
The organization’s teen volunteer program creates another powerful avenue for community transformation. With over 50 teen volunteers working one-on-one with students with disabilities each week, Gateways is nurturing a generation of young people who understand and value inclusion. Cohen Carrus points out that while some volunteers go on to careers in disability services, equally impactful are “the teen volunteers who go on to do something completely unrelated and have this meaningful experience of building relationships with folks with disabilities that then informs their ability to be more empathetic and compassionate adults.”
As part of its work in holistically caring for and meeting the needs of every student, its work extends into building and expanding the network of professionals who support them. Through its Center for Professional Learning, Gateways provides comprehensive training and resources to educators across the Jewish community. Its “Shiluv: More Than Awareness” program helps educators examine and shift mindsets about disability within their communities. As Gateways CEO Tamar Davis explains, “It’s not only acceptance of but appreciation for the value that difference brings to our society. Disability inclusion benefits everyone. We wouldn’t have our full community without every member.”