Marketing Documents Indicating Our Commitment to Inclusion

• Congregation Har HaShem Website
• Congregation Har HaShem Elaine Hall Webpage
• Congregation Har HaShem Temple Grandin Webpage

History, Materials & Processes that Guided Our Approach

Ensure that you have the understanding of the rabbi, key staff and the volunteer leaders of the congregation.

Invite someone with star power to your first kickoff event to not only attract people from the disability world, but also those who are not.

Capture names and contact information of interested parties at all times and continue to communicate with them.

Utilize press coverage to help spread the word.

Evidence of Successful Inclusion Efforts

We are seeing new families and parents of adults with disabilities attend services. A Learning Specialist works with students with access or disability needs or IEPs. We also have B'nai Mitzvah tutors trained in special education. Students with special needs have become B'nai Mitzvah, including a teen with severe autism, an extraordinary event that involved extensive planning with clergy. Our inclusion training and speaking events have received rave reviews. For a list of testimonials, visit the link below.

Our Temple Grandin event filled the sanctuary with 350 persons, and we had to turn away an additional 100 persons. Our two No Shush Shabbats were 50 to 75 percent full, as compared to 10-40% full on many Friday nights. In addition, we have had several members join Har HaShem partially because of our inclusion practices.

Here is a list of number of attendees to our inclusion events, parent support group, workshops and services.
Congregation Har HaShem’s Inclusion Committee: 6
Dr. Temple Grandin presentation and Community Resource Fair: 350 persons (had to turn away an additional 100 because of building capacity)
Shelly Christensen Inclusion Training: 28 Staff members from Jewish agencies, organizations and synagogues.
Shelly Christensen inclusion training for Jewish educators: 20
Shelly Christensen dinner with parents: 10 families
Shelly Christensen screening of “Wretches and Jabberers” with follow-up discussion: 40
11-week, facilitated, Jewish Parent Support Group for Parents of Children and Adult Children with Disabilities: 8 parents, 3 Rabbis/Educators
No Shushing Shabbats: approximately 150 persons each time
No Shush Havdalah: 40 persons
Elaine Hall Event: 60 people at our synagogue, 40 people at a partnering synagogue, another 100 parents, children and educators at partnering synagogue, 20 people at a private wine and cheese reception.
Meeting to discuss creating Jewish housing for adults with disabilities: 15 Boulder-area disability and Jewish leaders.
Limmud Colorado parent panel presentation: 20 people (also consulted with Limmud to improve inclusivity at their conference).
Hazon’s Jewish Intentional Community conference: 180 participants. (Susan presented an open session on inclusion)
Students helped in our Hebrew and Sunday school by a special educator: 25

Evidence of Changing Attitudes

The attitudes and misconceptions about disabilities are changing among members. But the biggest change right now is through the Har HaShem (HHS) staff. HHS staff and leaders have become increasingly aware of the needs of this population, and they now understand that people with disabilities and their families tend to not feel welcome or comfortable in synagogue settings. They also understand, from the stories the inclusion committee collected (see link below), that some families have not been able to attend services or other programs because congregants perceived their family members with disabilities as disruptive. As a result, awareness developed that we were not fully fulfilling our Torah values.

Our Dr. Temple Grandin event provided the opportunity for hundreds to hear from a highly successful professional with a significant disability, and to realize the contributions people with disabilities can make to society. Many people who were not from the disability world told us they "got it!"

Our No Shushing Shabbats provide alternative approaches to our typical service, which may be appealing to other members of our community as well. For example, participation with simple musical hand instruments, or through movement, began as approaches being considered for those with disabilities, and are now being considered for all participants in the service. Our typical congregants are becoming accustomed to the idea that some people can’t sit still or stay quiet, and that it’s really OK. In all, the staff is creating services that allow everyone to enjoy a service together instead of offering services solely for those with disabilities and other special needs.

How We're Using and Sharing the Disabilities Inclusion Learning Center

We will find resources that pertain to goals that Har HaShem (HHS) wants to achieve and share them with the HHS staff. For instance, we want to expand and improve our No Shushing Shabbat services. I found a lovely video of Rodeph Sholom’s services for people with special needs on the Disabilities Inclusion Learning Center website, and I sent it to our rabbi, executive director and Cantorial soloist. We’re already discussing some changes, such as having a visual schedule at the front of the service to help congregants understand and follow the parts of the service.

Future Inclusion Efforts

We are planning regularly scheduled No Shushing Shabbat services and a No Shushing High Holiday service.

We are planning to create a No Shushing Shabbat Boot Camp so that other organizations near and far can learn about how we did this. We plan to do an assessment of Har HaShem’s inclusion practices and of the building and see where we can make improvements. We hope to add hearing enhancement equipment this year to our Sanctuary audio system. We are part of a collaborative effort of four synagogues that meets on an as-needed basis to discuss inclusion efforts. Right now we are collaborating on a community-wide survey to access the needs of the Boulder Jewish Disability community.