Thank you for publishing “Needed: A National Strategy For Including Jews With Special Needs” (Opinion, July 13) by Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi. It highlighted the continued need for Jews with special needs to be included in all aspects of Jewish school and communal life.
I am proud to report that the culture of inclusion is deeply rooted in all of the Jewish day schools with whom SINAI Schools is associated; Joseph Kushner Hebrew Academy, Rosenbaum Yeshiva of North Jersey, Ma’ayanot Yeshiva High School for Girls, Rae Kushner Yeshiva High School and Torah Academy of Bergen County.
In each case we have partnered with their school leadership to create a culture where all children are valued and integrated. At SINAI Schools, we are proud to have been at the forefront of inclusion of Jewish children with special needs for over three decades. As the author correctly pointed out, “including people with disabilities can be infinitely complex.” However, a culture of inclusion very quickly trickles down to all stakeholders in the school community: staff, parents and students alike. I have heard countless times of the gratitude of former students of these schools for the opportunity to be educated in such an environment. Perhaps, even more importantly, is that the students of SINAI attend the same schools as their siblings, ride the same buses as their typically developing peers, and participate in all school social and academic opportunities, while receiving the specialized support and instruction that they deserve.
Dean, SINAI Schools
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