Rodef Sholom: A Reform Jewish Congregation in Marin County, California

God's house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples. -- Isaiah 56:7

Introducing Kulanu: Inclusion of those with disabilities
The first human rights treaty of the 21st century was the "Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities", formally approved by the United Nations on December 13, 2006. The intent of this treaty is to protect and enhance the rights and opportunities of the world's estimated 650 million individuals with disabilities. Community inclusion of individuals with disabilities has been on the URJ radar screen since 1999; currently it's a key focus for the organization.

A disability is a condition of significant impairment relative to the typical standard of an individual in a group. Disabilities include physical, sensory, cognitive impairment, developmental and intellectual impairment, mental illness, and various types of chronic disease. Most of us will have a temporary or permanent disability at some point in our lives - whether the vehicle is birth, illness, accident or the simple reality of aging. 20% of Americans have some form of permanent disability!

Kulanu is Congregation Rodef Sholom's Inclusion committee. Kulanu is a Hebrew word that means "all of us." It fits our mission statement, which is

To create an accessible environment in which people with disabilities and their families are welcomed, included, nurtured and treated with dignity and respect in the spiritual, social, religious, cultural and educational life at Congregation Rodef Sholom.

Our committee wants to minimize (and ideally, eliminate!) the barriers that people with disabilities often face. Our first goal at CRS is become an "Accessible Congregation" as defined by the National Organization on Disability. This means removing barriers to access - architectural barriers, communication barriers, and, most important, attitudinal barriers. Many of these are easy to do and we have already accomplished them; some are more difficult and will take time to complete, but we are making a commitment. We have a number of wonderful resources to share - including The Ten Commandments of Communicating with People with Disabilities! Watch for more to come. If you want to become involved, please contact Gail Napell at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or Sam Doctors at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Jewish Disability Awareness Month
February has been designated Jewish Disability Awareness Month, recognized by all streams of Judaism (Reform, Conservative, Orthodox and Reconstructionist) and most, if not all, national Jewish agencies. Local synagogues, organizational chapters and federations observe Jewish Disability Awareness Month with special programming to educate their members about people with all kinds of disabilities -- physical, intellectual, psychological and more.  Read last year's letter from Rabbi Lyne Landsberg from the Religious Action Center with many useful links to resources both within and outside of the Jewish community.  Stay tuned for more details concerning Rodef Sholom programming for February.