A source close to the
celebrators said Monday
that "in most cases,
the Orthodox community doesn't allow
invalids to read from the Torah,
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3565445,00.html
Conservative synagogue celebrates Bar Mitzvahs for autistic teens
Disqualified by Orthodox Halachic
approach to celebrate their Bar Mitzvah,
autistic teenagers find conservative
alternative humane,
accomodating in fulfilling
their 'coming of age' dream
Eran Navon
Published: 07.08.08, 19:44/Israel Jewish Scene
It looked like just another
ordinary Bar Mitzvah:
Boys wearing their talit (praying shawl)
and tefillin (phylacteries), reading the
weekly Torah ****tion and singing
"Adon Olam" ("Lord of the World").
But this was a different Bar Mitzvah,
unique and moving to tears,
as five boys and one girl,
all of them autistic,
fought for their dream - and won.
Their 'coming of age' path was not an easy one.
The Orthodox community poses a
Halachic problem in calling up
autistics to read from the Torah,
since Jewish law says
"one who is deaf,
one who is young and
one who is a simpleton
shall be exempt from ordinance."
A source close to the
celebrators said Monday
that "in most cases,
the Orthodox community doesn't allow
invalids to read from the Torah,
but we refused to give up
and joined the conservative
community."
The faculty at the Kshatot
School near Pardes Hana,
headed by principal Tirza Gamliel,
decided to try and help their
autistic students fulfill their wish.
They approached the Hod Ve-Hadar
Conservative synagogue in Kfar-Saba,
which responded positively.
With great diligence,
tutor Dror Yavor visited
the autistic teens' school
every week for six months,
teaching them the Torah
****tion of "Parashat Balak."
"It was an amazing,
fascinating experience.
I watched their progression
from moment to moment,
lesson to lesson," Yavor said proudly.
The big moment finally came on Monday.
The excited teens arrived at
the Hod Ve-Hadar synagogue,
and wearing talit and tefillin,
the boys with yarmulkes,
they began reading from
the weekly Torah ****tion.
Not a single eye was left
dry when one of the boys,
who usually only mumbles,
fervently sang "Adon Olam."
'Happiest day ever'
Yavor recorded the Torah
****tion ahead of time in
case his students would
not be able to take the
tension and excitement,
but he never had to use it.
The five boys and girl did wonders
in reading the ****tion with help
from the rabbis and instructors.
"I am moved and full of pride.
Six months ago,
I didn't believe my son
could read from the Torah.
But my Danny stood poised and did it,"
one of the mothers said.
One of the fathers said the event
was the "happiest day ever" for him,
adding that "those who don't wish to
hold a Bar Mitzvah for my son
don't have to;
I only focus on the good and on
those willing to do such a mitzvah
and hold such an amazing celebration."
Orthodox Rabbi Yuval Sharlow from
the Tzohar organization said Monday
that "this is a real problem of the
Orthodox community that must be solved.
The problem is not only with autistics
but with boys suffering from Down
syndrome and other populations
with one problem or the other."
According to Chief Ashkenazi
Rabbi of Israel Yona Metzger,
"there is no reason or
pretext to reject autistics.
They can be called up to the
Torah and participate in a Bar
Mitzvah ceremony."
Dr. Yitzhak Kedman,
executive director and founder
of the National Council for
the Child (NCC) congratulated
"all the humane people giving those
autistic kids the feeling that they
are human beings.
For me, there is no greater mitzvah than that."
Ilan Sadeh,
head of the Menashe Regional
Council in which the teens study,
said n response:
"I regret that the families had
to travel all the way to Kfar-Saba
to hold the ceremony.
I will work towards having the
ceremony held within the council's
limits next year."
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