Author and inclusion advocate Jonathan Mooney will describe ways to make our community more inclusive and welcoming for people with disabilities and those who learn differently when he speaks at Temple Beth Sholom’s Shabbat Service on Saturday, Feb. 9.
The service, which begins at 9 a.m., is open to the public; Mooney will speak around 10:30 a.m. The synagogue invited him because February is Jewish Disability Awareness and Inclusion Month. Temple Beth Sholom is a warm, welcoming, and inclusive congregation committed to accommodating children and adults with disabilities so that they may participate fully in worship, learning, and social activities.
Although guest speaker Mooney claims he didn’t learn to read until age 12 because of severe dyslexia, he overcame his learning disability to graduate from Brown University with a bachelor’s degree with honors in English literature. The author of two books, including “The Short Bus: A Journey Beyond Normal,” Mooney chronicled a 35,000-mile journey he took on a short bus through 13 states to meet and interview young people with disabilities.
In this book, he describes his inspiring, four-month odyssey interacting with kids who’ve overcome many obstacles. His conclusion: There’s no such thing as normal, and to really live, each person must find his own way of keeping up. Amazon describes the book as “a unique gem, propelled by Mooney’s heart, humor, and outrageous rebellions.” Mooney is a co-founder of Project Eye-To-Eye, which he describes as a widely duplicated mentoring program for disabled students.
His first book, “Learning Outside the Lines,” written when he was 23, is part memoir and part alternative study-skills primer. He says it helped him establish himself as a leader in the areas of LD/ADHD, disabilities, and alternative education.
Temple Beth Sholom is located at 401 Roslyn Road in Roslyn Heights. Arrive by 10:30 a.m. for Mooney’s presentation; he will answer questions following services. Free parking is available behind the temple. Contact the office, 516-621-2288, before Feb. 9 with any questions.
