Temple Shalom has taken another step in proving its commitment to people with physical and developmental disabilities by becoming the first Jewish congregation in Monmouth County to join the National Organization on Disability’s Accessible Congregations Campaign (ACC).

As part of its pledge to the ACC, the congregation is exploring ways to make the synagogue fully accessible for all people with disabilities, no matter what the disability. This includes removing barriers of architecture, communications and attitude.

It is a responsibility that all Jews have so that everyone may fully contribute to the congregational and worship experience, explains Rabbi Laurence Malinger, spiritual leader of Temple Shalom.

“The Halacha stipulates almost nothing about the external appearance of synagogues except this: It is forbidden to pray in a room without windows (Talmud, Berachot 34B),” says Rabbi Malinger. “Our synagogues need to have windows; they must be porous, accessible structures, open to the world and its problems, not fortresses that shut us away in cozy complacency.

“Look out the windows and see the Jews who cannot get into our praying place; the Jews in wheelchairs; the Jews with crutches and canes and walkers; Jews who are blind, deaf, hard of hearing, Jews with developmental disabilities; Jews who don’t have perfect bodies or a yiddisher kop; Jewish children who will never go to Harvard Law School. They belong to us. It is a spiritual act to open our windows, to draw Jews with disabilities into the community of Israel; for as long as our synagogues are inaccessible, these Jews will remain invisible.

“Someday–who knows?–the Jew who is blind, the Jew in the wheelchair, that parent of a special child, might be us.  If that day should come, let us pray that we’ll belong to a congregation of Shayne yidn--Jews who understand what real beauty is all about.”

According to a Harris poll, 84 percent of people with and without disabilities describe religion as “very important” or “important” to them. But only 49 percent of people with disabilities attend religious services at least once a month, compared with 57 percent of people without disabilities.

To improve accessibility, the temple will put up signs that let people know what aid is available for people with disabilities. Currently, the building and bathrooms are wheelchair accessible and the temple has large print prayer books. Additional proposed changes include improvements to a listening enhancement system, a lift for access to the bima (the raised platform in the sanctuary that is used during worship) and a pew cut in the sanctuary for wheelchair access. The Accessibility Committee also plans to survey the congregation to further assess its accessibility needs.

In addition, for years, the temple has run the only program of its kind for the religious education of children with educational disabilities.

The Chalutzim program, for children in grades three to seven, is presented using a multi-sensory approach and provides a condensed version of the same curriculum presented in Temple Shalom’s religious school. Jewish history, holidays, Israel and ethics are some of the included topics of study. The children also learn the prayers and blessings of the worship service in preparation for their b’nai mitzvah.

Chalutzim is geared to students who are enrolled in special education classes or attend resource rooms in their public schools. They must be classified as learning disabled or learning impaired to qualify. The class is open to congregants of any temple in the community. Membership at Temple Shalom is not required.

For more information on the Chalutzim program, contact religious school director Elisa Juros. And for more information about the Accessibility Committee, contact the temple office.