Temple Sinai recently announced the second year of its outreach program for children and families with developmental differences/special needs.
Through the Chazak program, families within the congregation and in neighboring communities have the opportunity to provide their children with meaningful Jewish learning.
Chazak continues to advance Temple Sinai’s efforts to include all families and children in the Jewish learning process.
The multi-faceted program includes Thursday drop off classes, monthly Shabbat and Jewish holiday programs including a three-hour drop off program, Bar/Bat Mitzvah opportunities and social activities/outings.
Rabbi Michael White, senior rabbi at Temple Sinai of Roslyn, has been a strong advocate for the program since its early planning stages and views Chazak as an important initiative for the Temple.
“Our temple is proud of our new program for kids with spectrum disorders and their families,” White said. “I have learned much about this growing population, about how unwelcome they have felt, how generally overwhelmed they are, and I realized that we had provided no way for these children and families to celebrate the joys of Jewish living with us, to be embraced by a concerned and loving community. We are changing that, ensuring that every child, created in God’s very image, is at the heart of us, at the heart of our community.”
All of Temple Sinai’s classes are led by certified special education teachers and designed to meet the individual and unique needs of each child as well as their family.
Workshops integrate movement, music, art, cooking, technology, yoga and other forms of enrichment into the learning experience with a very small teacher-to-student ratio.
Lulu Belferder and Rosanne Bogard are the program coordinators along with Cantor Elena Schwartz, religious school director. Members and non members are welcome, advanced registration is required.
Temple Sinai of Roslyn is located at 425 Roslyn Road in Roslyn Heights. For more information about Chazak, please contact Cantor Elena Schwartz at cantorelenaschwartz@mysinai.org or (516) 621-8016.
