Special Education
It is our desire at The Community Synagogue to make Jewish education accessible to all children in our community. Our tradition teaches and advocates for the importance of learning and study, and we seek to uphold this Jewish value. Realizing that children have different levels of learning capability, we strive to work in partnership with any family whose child requires a specialized Jewish education program. Our goal is to bring Judaism and Jewish education to all children in our community, help them create a positive Jewish identity and bring these children into the folds of our community.
Accomodations in our Traditional Program
When evaluating a student with special needs, we determine whether we can integrate the student into our traditional school track or whether the student would be better served by a specialized program. Currently, we integrate students with a variety of special needs into our traditional program, including students diagnosed with ADD, ADHD, Asperger’s Syndrome, Autism, Speech & Language Impairments, and Other Health Impairments. These students are placed in a mainstream class and receive pull out tutoring from our Special Education Teacher. All of our teachers attend workshops and receive training to help them work with special needs students and provide these students a full education within the framework of the classroom. In addition, the Director of Education tracks the progress of these students and is in contact with the families during the course of the year to follow up on each child’s growth. Sometimes, additional accommodations are made to help these students, such as a shortened day and/or extra opportunities for pull out help.
Efshar Program
Starting in the Fall of 2011, we are offering a self-contained classroom for special needs students who desire pursuing a Jewish education in a format that recognizes and accommodates each student’s individual needs and abilities. This class is specifically suited for students that cannot be mainstreamed into our traditional program, predominantly targeting children on the Autism spectrum. We have established a partnership with the Special Needs Center at the Sid Jacobson Jewish Community Center to create and implement this new program.
The Efshar (Possibilities) Program will meet weekly on Thursdays for a one hour session and will be geared toward students ages 7-12. The specific curricular focus for this class will be “Discovering the Realm of Jewish Living.” The child’s world will expand through an investigation of Jewish holidays, rituals and practices. We will seek to stimulate the students through the use of a variety of mediums including stories, music, art and hands on projects. Our objectives with this group are not only to instill a basic sense of understanding and familiarity with various aspects of Judaism and Jewish practice, but to also help develop a sense of community belonging.
For more information about this program or to determine if it is the right fit for your child, please contact Shari Isserles, Director of Education.