Accomodation vs Inclusion: How Israel is Unique
by Rachel Moore
h/t to Israelforever
What is the difference between accommodation and inclusion?
Every community has children that are categorized as “special needs”. Different countries, different cultures, different regions approach how to meet those special needs in their own way.
The approach at Sadna Shiluv in Gush Etzion, where I live, epitomizes so much of what I love about Israel and why I believe we are such a beautiful and unique nation.
The models of special-needs education that are the global norm involve isolation students in their younger years in order to “accomodate” their needs, and then later integrating them into society wherever and whenever possible.
Sadnat Shiluv, a project of the Municipality of Gush Etzion, takes the opposite approach. Many families have moved from all over Israel so that their children could attend the Sadna.
Reishit is a fully integrated elementary school in Rosh Tzurim that has a number of special-needs students in each class. They are tasked with learning to the best of their ability and are given resources to help them.
Some of the students who “graduate” Sadna Shiluv are able to be integrated into other frameworks; others remain in the Sadna Shiluv framework throughout their lives. But by this point, they already have friends. They know how to interact with others.
The upper-education program extends beyond high school to include young adults who live in a communal living environment in the Gvaot community with counselors and a community that has been built up around them. Students learn as many skills for independent (or semi-independent) living as possible. This includes shopping, cooking, laundry, etc.
They are never alone, they are not isolated.
In contrast, the Sadna is an integral working part of their community and their students feel more than wanted and needed by the community; they are the community.
The students play an active role in caring for the animals of the yishuv including therapeutic horseback riding and goat shepherding. There are also workshops in cheese and yogurt making, cooking, photography, drama, music and carpentry.
Vivienne Glaser’s son Elchi lives at the Sadna. She tell me “It’s heartbreaking to know that you can’t protect your child from coming to the realization that they are different; that they have challenges. And everyone wants her son or daughter to be loved, to have friends. Sadna has given my son such a rich education, but so much more than that – they have given him a full heart, and a belief that people are good and kind. I believe that Sadna has set a standard for what should be the norm in special education throughout the rest of the country.”
What is so very Israeli about this approach?
Firstly, the integration in the lower grades is about helping special needs’ students integrate, without question. But only in part. It’s really about helping everyone else in their community!
Students are conditioned at the earliest stages to be open to, befriend and love peers that are radically different than they are. Imagine a world where we all learn sensitivity in word and deed to students with challenges because it is simply our “normal”. Imagine a world where every second grader wakes up appreciative of their health, their mind, their ability to function because the spend every day intimately aware of the limitations of others.
The community of Gush Etzion has made a decision, as parents, as people, as a municipality, that the quality of life, education and experience of special needs’ students is a communal responsibility. And that the response to people who are “different” is to put them right in the middle of things. To approach discomfort by forcing each other to adjust. To face the different and strange with openness and love.
Why? Because Gush Etzion views itself as one family; views Israel as one large family. Family doesn’t put members in a closet to make their own lives easier, and families love all of their members, finding the best in each other and helping each other grow.
Secondly, The Sadna’s guiding principle is that a person is not defined by his needs, but rather by his/her ability to contribute. This principle is applied daily in learning, social activities and work that benefits the whole community. It is this principle that leads to a tremendous change in behavior; they gain so much independence and self-confidence.
Yet this is really the guiding principle that has caused Israel to become Start Up Nation and to succeed so miraculously beyond our years. Israelis live with a consciousness of how can we fill needs, care for others, invent new ways to improve the world. We ask “how can we add value”. Knowing from our history that we cannot rely on the world to take care of us, we ask what we can do for ourselves and how.
The Sadna is just a microcosm of this extremely Israeli approach. Which is why it succeeds and why it makes me so personally proud.
For more information about Sadnat Shiluv and their upcoming fundraising event, click HERE.
Rachel Moore is a Public Relations and Communications Professional working at BlueThread Marketing and Moore International Connections. She is also the founder of HubEtzion, the first open workspace in Gush Etzion. Her writing has appeared in the Jerusalem Post, Times of Israel, and more. She blogs about parenting, step-parenting, Judaism and Israel at Ima2Eight.
A Summer Camp that Welcomes Everyone
By Heidi Krizer Daroff
Upon arriving one summer morning at Shutaf, a Jerusalem-based, informal-education program for children and teens with special needs, it did not look particularly different from any other summer camp in Israel. There were children playing, lots of laughter, and everybody seemed like they were part of the group.
Upon closer inspection it became crystal clear that this camp was indeed a very different place. It is, in fact, a place where everybody is welcome to join in regardless of their abilities or challenges.
Crafts, games, singing, dancing, and friendship are ideally a part of every child’s summer. But for children with special needs, too often they are not permitted to attend summer camp with typical kids. This has a double negative impact. Kids with special needs are not provided the opportunity to interact with and learn from typical kids while typical kids grow up with misconceptions about what it means to have a disability. This separation sets up both types of kids for a myriad of restrictions on who they will be friends with and who they will be willing to work alongside. Unfortunately, these misconceptions and restrictions stay with us well into adulthood.
The staff at Shutaf has spent the past decade working to change all that. Using a reverse inclusion method, meaning about three quarters of the campers have special needs and about one quarter do not. They are bringing kids together in a respectful and enjoyable way that is creating pathways for a brighter, more fulfilling future. As I sat and watched their version of Israel’s Got Talent, I saw a room full of singing, dancing, and encouraging words and actions. High fives and applause were plentiful.
As I toured the woodworking, sports, animal time, and crafts sessions being offered, the positive societal impact of Shutaf was astounding. The camp is comprised of mostly Jewish Israelis but there were also Israeli Christian and Arab campers–but labels do not matter here. The emphasis is on enjoyment and friendships with the highly trained Shutaf staff providing support and guidance so that all the campers felt included as an integral part of the group.
During the art session, my daughter sat down and joined in. The other children around her shared their materials and she fit right in. The Shutaf philosophy of including everyone played out before my eyes in that moment. Consider this kind of behavior demonstrated in schools and the workplace. Think for a moment the positive impact this behavior modeling can have on society.
Beyond the fun of summer camp, Shutaf offers classes and social opportunities year round, enabling individuals with special needs to learn life skills that are often not taught in schools. I applaud the founders of Shutaf, Beth Steinberg and Miriam Avraham, who have dedicated over ten years of their lives to strengthening Israeli society by building more fulfilling lives for all her citizens. I am excited to see what the future brings for this dynamic duo and their inclusive mission.
Inclusion: Something to think about 1. How can you create a Shutaf-like environment in your school, camp, or work-place?2. How does society benefit from all types of people working together?
3. Think about a time that you went out of your way to welcome someone else (or didn’t), why do you think you reacted that way?
4. How can you encourage your friends and family to be following in Shutaf footsteps?
Heidi Krizer Daroff enjoys sharing her passion for Israel with others as North America Director of The Israel Forever Foundation. While her passport indicates that she does not reside in Israel, her heart definitely does. Through her storytelling, Heidi invites you to grow your involvement and add more Israel Forever into your daily life.
