Special B'nai Mitzvah Resources

PLANNING A SPECIAL BAR or BAT MITZVAH????
B'NAI MITZVAH: SPECIAL NEEDS

Bar/Bat Mitzvah is the best known Jewish life cycle event. It is the day when a Jewish child becomes an adult, a member of the Jewish community, a son or daughter of the Commandments. Even families that ordinarily participate only peripherally in Jewish community or religious activities feel a need to observe this milestone in the lives of their children.

The following bibliography of resources is a place to start. Most of the materials listed are available through the CAJE Library and Media Center.

Please feel free to call CAJE's Special Education Department for the following:

Rita Singer
Special Education Coordinator
(303) 321-3191 x218

B'NAI MITZVAH RESOURCES: SPECIAL NEEDS
BIBLIOGRAPHY

* available in the CAJE Library

Chadish Media. A Learning Skill and Listening Experience. Audio tapes for learning parsha/haftorah

* Chesnov, Wendy, and Green, Linda Schwartz. Sensitizing the Jewish Community to Individuals With Special Needs  (booklet) Whippany, NJ: Center for Special Education, Jewish Education Association of Metrowest. Sensitivity workshops for children

* Curtis, Sandra. Gabriel's Ark. (children's book) Los Angeles, CA: Alef Design Group, 1999. Gabe's family celebrates his bar mitzvah

* Eugene. (video) New York: Jewish Theological Seminary, 1995. A boy with CP uses a computer voice at his bar mitzvah.

* Feinberg Productions. Keshet: Coming of Age. (video) Chicago: Jane Feinberg Productions, 1988.  Highlights of a program in Chicago, including Adam's bar mitzvah

* Gallant, Janet and Avishai, Susan. My Brother's Bar Mitzvah. (children's book) Rockville, Maryland: Kar-Ben, 1990.  Gently addresses sibling anxiety about the upcoming event.

* Greene, Roberta and Heavenrich, Elaine. A Question in Search of an Answer: Understanding LD in Jewish Education. New York: Union of American Hebrew Congregations, 1981. Extensive how-to information for teachers and one chapter on b'nai mitzvah adaptations

Hornstein, Becca. "Jewish Life Cycle Events: Including children With Developmental Difficulties." Disability Solutions,
Nov./Dec., 1996, volume 1 #4. (available online at http://www.disabilitysolutions.org/pdf/1-4.pdf )
Provides concrete adaptations, examples, and philosophy for bar/bat mitzvah observance for every child.

* Hornstein, Becca and Rosenberg, Shelley. "Disabled, Not Disqualified." Moment Magazine, February 2000. Useful article including suggestions for creating a special needs service

* Layman, Rabbi Robert. My Child is Different: A Guide for Jewish Parents of Special Children. (booklet) New York, NY: United Synagogue of America Commission on Jewish Education, 1988.

General strategies for families

* Leneman, Helen (Ed.). Bar/Bat Mitzvah Basics: A Practical Family Guide to Coming of Age Together. Woodstock, VT: Jewish Lights Publishing, 1996.  Two brief chapters on special needs

*  Leneman, Helen. Bar/Bat Mitzvah Education: A Sourcebook. Denver, CO: A.R.E. Publishing, 1993. Three chapters on special needs adaptations

* Rossel, Seymour. A Spiritual Journey: Bar Mitzvah and Bat Mitzvah Handbook. (booklet)  West Orange, NJ: Behrman House, 1993. Two short chapters, one on adult b'nai mitzvah

* Shuart, Adele Kronick. SIGNS in Judaism: A Resource Book for the Jewish Deaf Community.  New York, NY: Bloch Publishing Company for the National Congress of Jewish Deaf, 1986. Judaic vocabulary, definitions and signs

* Someone is Listening. (video) New York: United Synagogue of America. Deaf teen's bar mitzvah process

B'NAI MITZVAH RESOURCES: SPECIAL NEEDS
WEBSITES

www.ptach.org  New York-based special needs resource - will answer questions by phone at (866) PTACH62

www.cjsn.org/articles   Arizona-based special programs and personal articles about bar/bat mitzvahs

www.jewishfamily.com   General Judaic information

www.disabilitysolutions.org  General inclusion support

http://ici.umn.edu/products/newsletter.html Impact newsletter issue on "Faith Communities"

Rita Singer, Special Education Coordinator - 300 South Dahlia Street, Suite 101, Denver, Colorado 80246