Itanu Toronto - the Inclusion Initiative of UJA Federation Inclusion Action Week 2009
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| Inclusion Award recipients Rosalie Shadlyn-Kadima School, Andrew Levy-Centre Camp & Sandy Keshen- Lifetime Achievement |
2009-08-18 09:49:57
Itanu Toronto presents:
Inclusion Action Week
Inclusion Action Week Objectives
- to raise awareness of the issues of accessibility and inclusion in the Jewish community
- to change attitudes within the Jewish community
- to promote and motivate community organizations to take action
- to encourage the creation and implementation of programs and activities
- to give visibility to the Inclusion Initiative
A New Website Promoting Inclusion
As part of Inclusion Action Week, Itanu Toronto created a website presence to promote and champion a community-wide commitment to Inclusion. Working with Jewish Information Service of Greater Toronto (JIST), www.itanutoronto.ca, is linked to Doing Jewish in Toronto, the community engagement portion of UJA Federation's website.
The highlighted box on the right side of this page includes links to the other sections of the site. In addition, JIST has included information about building accessibility to the listings it has for over 700 organizations, congregations, schools and community centres in the Jewish community.
Inclusion Action Week 2009 - Highlights
The Second Annual Community Inclusion Awards of Excellence was held on February 26 and marked the formal conclusion of Inclusion Action Week … however, the intent lives on, not just in spirit but in everyday action.
On February 20 and 21, synagogues across the Greater Toronto Area were part of Shabbat Itanu – a Shabbat of Inclusion. Through discussions, sermons, luncheon speakers and participation by individuals with special needs, many synagogues demonstrated their commitment to furthering the goal of true inclusion in our community.
Congratulations to all participating synagogues, some of which include Beth Emeth, Beth Tzedec, B’nai Shalom V’Tikvah, Beth Sholom, First Narayever and Temple Emanu-El. Other congregations held their Shabbat of Inclusion earlier in February. On March 7, Beth Tikvah Synagogue hosted a presentation by Dana Eilath, a member of the Itanu Toronto Inclusion Committee.
The award-winning film Praying with Lior was featured on February 22 at the Sheppard Grande Cinema. Over 160 people turned up to experience the movie and enjoy the brunch. The film is best described by its creators as “an engrossing, wrenching and tender documentary [which] introduces Lior Liebling, also called "the little rebbe."
Lior has Down Syndrome and has spent his entire life praying with utter abandon. The movie poses difficult questions such as "What is 'disability'?" and "Who really talks to G-d?" Told with intimacy and humour, Praying with Lior is a family story, a triumph story, a grief story, a divinely-inspired story.”
This film is a must-see film for Bar/Bat Mitzvah students and parents alike; an excellent program for your brotherhood or sisterhood; an enlightening class activity. This inspiring and educational film can be borrowed from the Toronto Jewish Media Centre, 416-635-2883 Ext. 5242.
The program concluded by hearing from Cassie Wein, currently a student at York University, who shared her own courageous story. [To read Cassie’s speech, please click here]
And finally, on February 26, over 170 guests were enthralled by the keynote speaker, Richard Ouzounian, at the Second Annual Community Inclusion Awards of Excellence, held at CNIB. The centrepiece of the evening was the presentations of the Awards:
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Program Award - Kadima School
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Organization Award - Centre Camp, Bathurst JCC
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Lifetime Achievement Award - Sandy Keshen honouring her tireless, lifelong striving to make our Jewish community more inclusive of people with special needs.
Attending the event were the Honourary Chairs of Inclusion Action Week, David Green and Daphne Wagner with their two lovely children, Monte Kwinter, MPP for York Centre, Toronto Councillor Michael Feldman, Ellen Waxman, Assistant Deputy Minister, Accessibility Directorate of Ontario, Rabbi Joseph Kelman (recipient of last year’s Lifetime Achievement Award) Bernie Farber, CEO of Canadian Jewish Congress, a number of Executive Directors from our community agencies, and many other colleagues, friends and family.
Itanu Toronto’s ultimate goal is that we won’t need an Inclusion Action Week because the inclusion of people with special needs into the very fabric of our community will be a natural everyday occurrence. It won’t need to be planned, because it simply is. But as we work towards this goal, we need to continue to promote and celebrate excellence and the hard work of families, community and all individuals regardless of their level of ability.
For more information about Itanu Toronto, for more ideas on how your organization can promote inclusion or to offer your ideas for Inclusion Action Week 2010, please contact us:
inclusionuja@mnjcc.org
(416) 924-6211, ext. 255
Itanu Toronto - Inclusion Initiative of UJA Federation of Greater Toronto
c/o Miles Nadal Jewish Community Centre
750 Spadina Avenue
Toronto, ON M5S 2J2
 Sandy Keshen – Lifetime Achievement, with grandson Noah and Keynote Speaker Richard Ouzounian
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