Jews & the Disabled

-A look at the treatment of marginal individuals (lepers, the disabled and the mentally ill) in medieval Northern European Jewish society. (Haaretz)

-A film about a disabled Jewish preteen gets the “Audience Awardâ€? in Boston and a raft of great reviews, but then, “several Jewish film festivals turned us down.” (Jewish Exponent)

-And Ilana Trachtman talks about how her goal in making the documentary was to raise consciousness about bringing people with disabilities into the larger Jewish community. (NJ Jewish News)

-A look at Yad HaChazakah, the Jewish Disability Empowerment Center, which has arisen from the work of an activist in the NY Orthodox world. (The Jewish Week)

-Kishorit, home to some 130 residents, “is a community that is unique both in Israel and in the world. It gives people with special needs, ranging from mental illness to autism and physical disability, a home, a livelihood and dignity, built on the forgotten values of the kibbutz movement – and also on some of its land.â€? (Haaretz)

–Vandals set ablaze a clubhouse used by 100 disabled children in Even Sapir, a community on the outskirts of Jerusalem. And it was not the first vandalism attack on the building. (Haaretz)

–Youngsters with special needs go on a Taglit-Birthright Israel trip, and have a great time. (NJ Jewish News)