Opinion
Turning the page with a new siddur designed for people with disabilities
Judaism has, from its very beginnings, accepted that humans come with abilities and disabilities
June 23, 2022 11:46
2 min read
Judaism has, from its very beginnings, accepted that humans come with abilities and disabilities
June 23, 2022 11:46This week, the United Synagogue launches our new siddur for people with disabilities. It is the result of many months of painstaking work and is thanks to an unprecedented collaboration between ourselves and sector specialists JWeb, Gesher School and Kisharon, with the endorsement of Langdon and Norwood.
Studies have shown that around 20 per cent of people in the UK have a disability, many of which are not visible. Within the Jewish community, if someone feels that they are not able to participate in an aspect of community life, this could prevent them and their whole family from attending.
It is against this backdrop that we are introducing the first Orthodox siddur to use the Picture Exchange Communication System (Pecs) specifically for people with disabilities, both physical or learning. Pecs is a set of graphic icons to help those with autism spectrum conditions convey their thoughts and needs.
All prayers and songs appear in the siddur with matching Pecs, offering a more meaningful prayer experience to users.
Judaism has, from its very beginnings, accepted that humans come with abilities and disabilities. Our forefather Yitzchak was blind in his old age. His son Yaakov was left physically disabled, either temporarily or permanently, after his wrestling incident. Our greatest teacher, Moshe, had a speech impediment.
In none of these cases did that affect their ability to perform their role of leader, or be involved in community life. They, in turn, were respected for who they were. While Moshe might have doubted himself because of his stutter, at no point in the Torah are we told that the people resented or ignored Moshe because of his disability.
Supported by the Chief Rabbi, the new accessible Siddur Lakol will be freely available in our shuls and schools from September. With its unique illustrations and simplified translations, it is a ground-breaking addition to our publication portfolio. In addition, we will be offering explanatory videos for leaders of adult, youth and children’s services.
We know the siddur is just the start of our journey. We still need to work to remove physical and attitudinal barriers by making spaces more accessible for people with disabilities and by raising awareness in the wider community.
To take this forward, we will soon be publishing a new edition of the seminal handbook, originally written by Rabbi Dr Julian Shindler, with guidance for parents of children with disabilities approaching bar- or batmitzvah.
The guide will offer practical suggestions on how to provide a meaningful simchah for children within a range of disabilities.
Some of our communities have been pioneering inclusive services. There is no template or one-size-fits-all. United Synagogue shuls have developed children’s services which use Pecs and have held abridged services in an informal environment with a kiddush separate to the main community so there are fewer people present.
One shul helped a severely autistic boy celebrate his barmitzvah by holding it on a Thursday so that a Shabbat morning didn’t overwhelm him. The ceremony included the rabbi talking to him on the bimah, showing him round the shul and asking the boy to repeat the first line of the Shemah word-for-word after him.
Another community enabled a batmitzvah girl to have the ceremony her family never thought she could because of her disability. The shul and family consulted with her at every stage, made sure she was comfortable and, despite the nerves (felt by her parents too!), she taught the community not only about her parashah but how her disability affected her life.
One family told us that key to helping their son with Down’s syndrome celebrate his barmitzvah were visual aids and regular practising in shul.
Of course, supporting some 60 communities in this area is a marathon and not a sprint. But we are taking the first steps. Investing in this work takes time but we have already seen the difference it makes to our members and we are here to support each and every one. After all, at the very beginning of the Torah, we are told that we are all made b’tzelem Elohim, in the image of God. We look forward to driving this vital work forward.
Miriam Marson is the United Synagogue’s community engagement manager