February is Jewish Disability Awareness, Acceptance and Inclusion Month (JDAIM), a unified effort among Jewish organizations worldwide to help raise awareness and foster acceptance of people with disabilities and mental health conditions.
It is estimated that nearly 20% of the population lives with a disability or mental health condition at any given time. Nearly 15-20% of school-age students have a learning disability such as ADHD, dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia and dyspraxia. JDAIM's mission is to unite Jewish communities and champion the rights of all Jews to be accepted and included in all aspects of Jewish and community life.
Locally Sasone, our community program that provides access to Jewish educational programs for students with disabilities, has been working towards inclusion and acceptance for more than 26 years. Now a program of Jewish Federation, Sasone was founded in 1997 by Steve and Sandy Passer and Alan Edelman, as a call to action to help support and include all students.
"It's amazing that a quarter of a century ago, our Jewish classrooms and camps could not imagine having a child with special needs attend their programs. Now, those same institutions cannot imagine their programs without children with special needs," said Sandy Passer.
Each year, Sasone helps support more than 200 students with disabilities and their families have better access to local Jewish educational programs. By providing block grants directly to all Jewish early childhood programs, congregational religious schools, Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy, and J-camp, local Jewish education programs can better include and accommodate students with disabilities, as well as support and train their staff for a multitude of needs.
“Sasone is such a gift to our Jewish community as a whole and to our families,” said Judy Jacks Berman, Director of the Rose Family Early Childhood Learning Center at Congregation Beth Shalom. “Many children have different learning styles, and some children need extra support to be successful at preschool. We would not be able to accommodate some children without the support of Sasone.”
Along with block grants, Sasone also provides consultations and trainings for Jewish community leaders, teachers, administrators and families, and hosts community workshops to help support the more than 1,800 students (preschool through 12th grade) enrolled in Jewish education programs around Kansas City.
“Sasone has allowed the CDC to access resources and supports that might not otherwise be available to our staff, students, and families,” said Becca Browar, Site Director of B’nai Jehudah CDC and Sasone Inclusion Specialist. “Access to various classroom tools and trainings is part of what makes our program so special, and we are forever grateful for our partnership with Sasone.”
To celebrate JDAIM, Sasone has a multitude of events and projects planned this month:
- The third annual Sasone essay and multimedia contest, with students answering questions about neurodiversity and its impact on their lives. Winners will receive a cash prize and will be featured in the Jewish Chronicle. To submit, please visit jewishkansascity.org/essay-contest. Submissions are due by February 27.
- In collaboration with Jewish Family Services of Greater Kansas City, Sasone is hosting “Building Inclusive and Sensory Friendly Jewish Environments,” a community workshop on Tuesday, February 7. For more information and to register, visit jewishkansascity.org/JDAIM.
- Thanks to an anonymous community donor, donations made to Sasone in February and beyond will be matched dollar for dollar up to $10,000. To donate, visit jewishkansascity.org/sasone-donate.
For more information about Sasone, its resources, trainings, or upcoming events, email Lindsey Lipsky, Sasone Program Director at or visit sasone.org.
