אֲדַבְּרָה-נָּא
שלושה שבועות. שלושה מפגשי שיח. שלוש נקודות מבט לא שגרתיות על הסכסוך.
Kehilat YOZMA Adopts Beit Eden
Inclusion of people with disabilities in congregational life
Beit Eden Bar/Bat Mitzvah Celebration 2018
About the program
"Beit Eden" is a group home for intellectually disabled children located in the town of Ramle. The facility houses approximately 80 children ranging in age from 7-21 with various degrees of intellectual retardation. Beit Eden serves as an actual home for these children, most of whom come from families of minimal socio-economic resources. In 2002 the volunteers of YOZMA - the Reform Congregation in Modi'in decided to adopts Beit Eden. Since then, a dedicated core group of YOZMA's volunteers have created a comprehensive program of support activities for Beit Eden.
Kehilat YOZMA
The Reform Jewish Community in Modi'in
Founded in 1997, YOZMA is the vibrant spiritual, educational and cultural center for Progressive Jewish life in Modi’in and the surrounding area. We integrate Jewish heritage and progressive values throughout our community programs, events and educational frameworks.
The core activity is the weekly Shabbat visit by YOZMA volunteers.
Every Friday afternoon, a devoted group of YOZMA volunteers prepares a Kabbalat Shabbat service characterized by a spiritual and loving atmosphere. The ceremony includes song, stories and special activities. The volunteers are buoyed by the excited welcome they receive by the children during these visits and of the intense satisfaction they feel participating in this program. Warmth and love are the most important needs of the children of Beit Eden.
The pinnacle event is an annual Bar/Bat Mitzva celebration
Every year YOZMA's volunteers, staff and lay leadership host a lavish celebration for the girls and boys who have reached Bar and Bat Mitzvah age.
On the morning of the event, at the Kotel (Western Wall), YOZMA Rabbis Nir Barkin and Phillip Nadal, together with our fifth grade classes, lead the services including the Torah readings for the Bar and Bat Mitzvah children, their families and friends. Later that day, all Beit-Eden children, their staff and the families of the Bar and Bat Mitzvah children – come to Modi'in to celebrate. The party is held at the YOZMA School. Now is the turn of the 6th graders, together with community lay leaders, to prepare the event making this well-attended and anticipated happening an annual success.
All year round activity
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Groups of children from Beit Eden participate in YOZMA community activities.
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Holidays celebrations at Beit Eden are led by YOZMA's Rabbi’s.
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YOZMA's school 6th graders come to Beit Eden to celebrate Sukkot and Purim together.
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YOZMA's school children prepare holiday gifts for the children of Beit Eden.
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Select girls and boys from the group home participate in special programming integrated into the Reform Movement's summer camp.
Our goals for the coming years:
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Expand our volunteer force and our weekly projects beyond Kabbalat Shabbat.
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Enrich the participation of YOZMA's educational programs in our projects.
Supporting the Beit Eden Program
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The cost of the Beit Eden program for YOZMA comes to $10,000 per year.
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A 50,000$ donation will secure the sustainability and continuity of the program for five years (2017-2022).
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If you would like this important program to bear your name in perpetuity then we suggest the possibility of an endowment of 200,000$.
Man stamps many coins with one seal, and each is like the other;
but the King, King of Kings, the Holy One, Blessed be He, stamps every man with the seal of Adam and not one of them is like his fellow.
Therefore every man must say "for my sake was the world created.
Mishnah Sanhedrin 4/5
Contact us
For more information about the program please contact:
Kehilat YOZMA
PO Box 128 Modiin 71721, Israel
Telephone: +972-8-975-3461 Fax: +972-8-970-3551
Email: yozma@yozma.org.il
Help us make this important shift to a culture of inclusion.
