LIVING
February is Jewish Disability Awareness, Acceptance & Inclusion Month
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ewish Disability Awareness, Acceptance and Inclusion Month ( JDAIM) is a unified effort among Jewish organizations worldwide to raise awareness and foster acceptance and inclusion of people with disabilities and mental health conditions and those who love them. JDAIM is a call to action for all of us as we act in accordance with our Jewish values, honoring the gifts and strengths that we each possess. Established at JFCS in 2009, JDAIM is observed during the month of February. The mission of Jewish Disability Awareness, Acceptance and Inclusion Month is to unite Jewish communities worldwide to raise awareness and champion the rights of all Jews to be accepted and included in all aspects of Jewish life like anyone else. People with disabilities make up the world’s largest minority group. Globally, around 10% of the world’s population lives with a disability of some kind. Twenty percent of people in the U.S. have some disability and 1 in 10 suffer from a severe disability. Over 10% of people in Israel have some form of disability that can make life’s daily activities a struggle. These statistics are just the beginning. Take into account the family, friends, and loved ones of those with disabilities who are also affected and these numbers skyrocket. Why Participate in JDAIM? By participating in Jewish Disability Awareness, Acceptance, and Inclusion Month, we (and you!) do the following: Raise awareness of how people with disabilities and mental health conditions have been regarded by Jewish and secular society and how that impacts our own actions. Underscore the importance of choosing one’s own Jewish journey. Encourage Jews around the world to become genuinely empathetic and welcoming toward people with disabilities and mental health conditions. Urge Jews to welcome people with disabilities and mental health conditions into their communities and personal lives. Include people with disabilities and mental health conditions in all aspects of communal life. Advocate for the rights of people with disabilities and mental health conditions. Support people with disabilities and mental health conditions to make their own decisions about how they want to belong to their Jewish community.
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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE
