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A Different Spirit: Creating Meaningful B'Nai Mitzvah for Children with Disabilities

A Different Spirit: Creating Meaningful B'Nai Mitzvah for Children with Disabilities - Paperback

by Howard Blas, Ilana Trachtman
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Availability:In StockContributor:Howard Blas, Ilana TrachtmanPublish date:2/3/2026Pages:256
Language:EnglishPublisher:Behrman House PublishingISBN-13:9781681150994ISBN-10:1681150999UPC:9781681150994Book Category:Education, Family & Relationships, ReligionBook Subcategory:Special Education, Children with Special Needs, JudaismBook Topic:Rituals & PracticeSize:9.90 x 6.90 x 0.70 inchesWeight:1.3514Product ID:SC13WA36T7

A first-of-its-kind resource guide for inclusive b'nai mitzvah celebrations.

For too long, teens with special needs have been on the margins of the Jewish community. As for any child, their b'nai mitzvah should be a joyous time as they transition into adulthood and affirm their commitment to their community.

A Different Spirit: Creating Meaningful B'nai Mitzvah for Children With Disabilities is designed to help clergy and families navigate creating a meaningful and inclusive celebration for all. This collection of essays includes inspiration and practical guidance on planning a celebration, managing accommodations and settings, and teaching children with special needs, as well as personal stories and a deep understanding of the concept of inclusion.

Edited by Howard Blas, the director of the National Ramah Tikvah Network which provides inclusion and vocational training programs support for young adults with disabilities in camps, and Emmy-award-winning Ilana Trachtman, director of the acclaimed documentary Praying with Lior.

This resource discusses planning for teens with:

  • Autism
  • Anxiety and other mental health issues
  • Visual impairment
  • Deafness
  • Non- and minimal speech
  • Mobility challenges
  • Learning differences

Featuring contributions by Jacob Artson, Daniella Bardack-Tarrab, Meir Yishai Barth, Rabbi Allison L. Berry, Shelly Christensen, Rabbi Menachem Creditor, Wendy Elliott-Vandivier, Meredith Englander Polsky, Jennifer Fink, Elaine Hall, Dr. Sheldon H. Horowitz, Gabrielle Kaplan-Mayer, Matan A. Koch, Serena Leigh Krombach, MA, MSEd, Rabbi Darby Jared Leigh, Jessica Leving Siegel, Batya Sperling-Milner, Dr. David Neufeld, Rebecca Redner, Arlene Remz, Rabbi Rebecca Schatz, Pamela Rae Schuller, Dr. Stephen Shore, Rabbanit Aliza Sperling, and Rebecca Wanatick.

Language:EnglishPublisher:Behrman House PublishingISBN-13:9781681150994ISBN-10:1681150999UPC:9781681150994Book Category:Education, Family & Relationships, ReligionBook Subcategory:Special Education, Children with Special Needs, JudaismBook Topic:Rituals & PracticeSize:9.90 x 6.90 x 0.70 inchesWeight:1.3514Product ID:SC13WA36T7
Blas, Howard: - Howard Blas is the director of the National Ramah Tikvah Network which provides inclusion and vocational training programs support for young adults with disabilities in camps throughout the US and Canada. Howard previously served as the director of the Tikvah Program at Camp Ramah in New England and at Ramah Northern California. A social worker and special education teacher by training, he also teaches Jewish Studies and bar/bat mitzvah to students with a range of disabilities and special circumstances. Howard has 35 years of experience working with families and students in envisioning and preparing for a wide-range of b'nai mitzvahs, from traditional to creative. Howard received the S'fatai Tiftakh Award from Boston Hebrew College's Center for Jewish Special Education in 2012 and the 2013 Covenant Award for Excellence in Jewish Education. Howard is involved with many disability inclusion organizations in the US and Israel. He lives in New Haven, Connecticut.Trachtman, Ilana: - Ilana Trachtman is an Emmy award-winning creator of nonfiction programs for PBS, HBO, ABC-TV, Showtime, Lifetime, Discovery, A&E, and the Sundance Channel: from the legacy of slavery in Peru, to activism among Louisiana shrimpers, and glassblowing with at-risk youth. Prime-time directing credits include Mariachi High; Black in Latin America hosted by Henry Louis Gates; and Texas Ranch House. Ilana was a supervising producer on PBS' History Detectives, the Sundance Channel's Big Ideas for a Small Planet and began her career on PBS' Reading Rainbow. Ilana's independent film Praying with Lior screened theatrically in more than 60 cities, receiving six Audience Awards for Best Documentary, the International Disability Film Festival Grand Prixe, and was a critic's pick of the New York Times, Philadelphia Inquirer, and Washington Post. For WHYY, Ilana directed The Pursuit: 50 Years in the Fight for LGBT Rights, winner of the Mid-Atlantic Emmy for Best Documentary. She lives in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Publisher: Behrman House Publishing

Contributor(s)

Howard Blas, Ilana Trachtman

Author

Howard Blas, Ilana Trachtman

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