by Ilana Snapstailer
When I brought my 7th grade Rosh Hodesh group to Mayyim Hayyim, we learned about the aquatic lift meant to help someone with a disability use the mikveh. When our educator, Lisa Berman, asked the girls “Why might someone with a disability use the mikveh?” one girl promptly answered, “The same reason anyone else would use the mikveh!” It is this outlook, helping people with disabilities not because they are different, but because they are the same, which needs to be more prevalent throughout the Jewish community. Because of this experience, I jumped at the opportunity when Leeza Negelev asked if our group would pilot their Discussion Guide on inclusion and access.
In partnership with The Ruderman Family Foundation, Mayyim Hayyim created a beautiful film, called Open Waters: Mikveh For Everybody. The lesson I piloted consisted of watching the short film with the students (grades 8-11), followed by a series of activities and conversations which applied the spirit of “Open Waters” to everyday life in the Jewish community. The underlying question was: How do we make Jewish rituals and community more inclusive for those with disabilities? The end goal was for us to brainstorm how our Jewish after-school program, Kesher Newton, could be a more inclusive and welcoming place.
From the film and activities, the students inferred that not everyone with a disability needs or wants the same kind of support. For example, Lisa, a woman in the film who is blind, said she appreciated being told about her mikveh surroundings, but then being left to have her experience just like anyone else. We also discussed what it’s like to feel “on the outside.” The students shared that they have all experienced “being on the outside” at one point, and in one of the Discussion Guide activities, their own stories were a powerful way to normalize the importance of inclusion.
Finally, we formed a plan to make Kesher Newton more inclusive. Here are a few ideas we brainstormed: Making sure we are cognizant of allergies, pairing new students with “buddies,” making sure our hallways are clear of obstacles in case we have a visitor who is visually impaired or in a wheelchair.
We were honored to be one of the first groups to pilot the Open Waters: Mikveh for Everybody Discussion Guide. In doing so, we played a part in furthering the work of inclusion for others. Because as we were reminded by our 7th grader, we are more the same than we are different.
To learn more about bringing The Open Waters Discussion Guide to your community click here.
Ilana Snapstailer is a Jewish educator and the Executive Director of Kesher Newton. She lives in Cambridge with her new husband and disability rights advocate, Avner Fink.