Council For Jews With Special Needs

Jason, Joel and Kevin are three adult men who live in Shalom House. During the week, they each get up in the morning, make their bed and eat their breakfast and prepare to go to work. Jason works in a hospital, Joel in a library and Kevin on a construction site. Jason and Kevin leave first to catch the first of two buses they each take to their jobs. Joel does his laundry or straightens up his room before work. When they all return in the late afternoon, there is dinner to prepare, a table to be set and plans for the evening to be made. Two nights a week, they work out at the JCC gym; not long ago, they all took an introduction to yoga class. There are trips to the grocery store or occasional midweek outings to a nearby mall or bookstore.

On Friday night, all of their other activities come to a halt. They prepare a special meal, put the shiny silver candlesticks and Kiddush cups on the table, and drop coins into the carved wooden tzedakah box that is shaped just like a house. Kippahs are pinned to their heads and a brief discussion ensues to determine whose turn it is to light the candles and say the Kiddush. Together, they greet Shabbat as a family.

Each of the residents of Shalom House has responsibilities for maintaining their bedroom and the common areas of their home. They take pride in the attractive artwork on the walls and the comfortable furniture in the great room. Guests are greeted eagerly and proudly given a full tour of the home.

The residents have memberships in the Jewish Community Center. Two evenings a week, the staff and residents work out in the health club of the JCC. They are also active participants in community programs such as concerts, Shabbat dinners, holiday fairs and other special events held at the JCC.

On the weekend, activities include shopping trips, visits to malls, bowling and swimming, feeding the ducks at the park or taking a walk to see horses about a mile away. The men enjoy going to ball games and performances of local theater and music. They don’t always travel as a group; Joel enjoy bookstores while Jason and Kevin prefer ball games. The house has two people on staff each weekend to enable individual choices, and some of the residents have “alone time in the community.”

The residents also participate in social groups from the general community through the city parks department and a special travel group chaperoned by special education teachers. They attend Saturday night dances each month and go on day trips with the parks program. Through the travel group, they can choose to participate in day trips, several weekend trips around the state each year and two annual week-long trips out of state.

The Council For Jews With Special Needs hosts an adult group called “Yad B’Yad.” Once a month, it meets on a Sunday afternoon at Shalom House for continuing Jewish education taught by a special educator who is assisted by a sign language interpreter. 10 to 12 young adults with a wide range of disabling conditions started this class in 2000 to prepare for their b’nai mitzvah. After the joyous celebration of their b’nai mitzvah in January 2002, the group asked the teachers to continue the class. They study the holidays and Shabbat, Hebrew and Yiddish, rituals and traditions, history and ethics.

On another Sunday of each month, Yad B’Yad offers social and recreational activities. Up to 18 men and women gather for Shabbat dinners, holiday parties, tzedakah projects, special outings, movie nights, miniature golf and other amusements. The adults group began in 1992; and in the ensuing years, the participants have joined together to celebrate birthdays and to offer sympathy to participants when a parent passes away. One year, they decided to hold their very own prom, complete with corsages and boutonnières, elegant meal and deejay music, door prizes and formal photos.

Shalom House is the center of all of the Yad B’Yad activities. It is conveniently located for participants from different parts of the Valley, and there is a bus stop just two blocks from the house. The great room can hold dozens of people, and the covered patio and yard offers additional entertaining space.

Parents of the residents often join the men for Shabbat dinner or special celebrations in the house. Community volunteers who get to know Jason, Joel and Kevin are invited for visits and activities. Shalom House has become a warm and welcoming meeting place for the Jewish community’s adults with special needs.

Click here to read about The First Shabbat at Shalom House.
Click here to read about Shalom House Residents Celebrate Simchat Torah.