“Let us bless the Source of life in its infinite variety,
that creates all of us whole,
none of us perfect.” --Judith Glass
Congregation Har Shalom celebrates that “infinite variety” as we welcome all Jews, whatever their abilities and challenges. Our rabbis, our leadership, our staff, and our members are all committed to creating a warm, inclusive atmosphere.
We value each person as someone fashioned in the image of God and believe that everyone, regardless of limitations, has something to contribute. We know that like Moses, who was “slow of speech”; Isaac and Leah, who had weak eyes; and Jacob, who had an injured leg, disability does not define who we are.
To help us infuse this spirit into every synagogue activity—spiritual, educational, or social, we formed our Accessibility or Kulanu (All of Us) Committee. It has the following mission:
To ensure that Har Shalom welcome and offer support to all congregants with disabilities, making them feel part of synagogue life and striving to eliminate all barriers (structural, communication, and attitudinal) to full participation.
Our work is ongoing, and we remain open to new ideas. Click here to see Har Shalom’s recent accomplishments related to disability and inclusion.
Here are a few of the ways our congregation has celebrated diversity:
- A signed bat mitzvah for a congregant who is Deaf
- Weekly inclusion of a young man with physical and intellectual disabilities in our Torah procession
- Monthly attendance of friends from the Jewish Foundation for Group Homes at our services
We promise that you will find no physical obstacle to entering our beautiful sanctuary or fully participating in services. Our congregation is proud of the awards we have received from the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism for our building’s accessibility. Click on the following links to learn of the accommodations we have made:
Guidelines for printed documents have been
established by USCJ’s
Committee on Accessibility,
click here for
more information
