Twenty teens and young adults from the United States, Canada, and England arrived in Israel this week to participate in a special program that provides students with special needs the opportunity to benefit from experiencing a gap year in Israel.
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Founded in 2003 by the Ohr Torah Stone network of institutions, the Elaine and Norm Brodsky Darkaynu Program responds to the needs of students contending with developmental, cognitive, and physical disabilities, such as Down syndrome, autism, cerebral palsy, traumatic brain injuries, and other challenges.
The one-of-a-kind program is unique in that it "sidestreams" students alongside mainstream gap year programs in Israel for typical young adults with special needs. The women's program, Midreshet Darkaynu, runs alongside OTS's Midreshet Lindenbaum program while the men's program, Yeshivat Darkaynu, is located at Yeshivat Har Etzion. "Sidestreaming" enables Darkaynu students to seamlessly participate in activities in which they can excel and build confidence such as dorm living, mealtimes, prayers, trips, and outings, but to be separated whenever they need individualized attention. This formula empowers them to flourish in a setting designed especially for them, rather than being made to be the 'special' kids in a 'normal' environment.
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The Darkaynu Israel experience includes Jewish studies, volunteer work, and travel around the country, like many other such programs. In addition, students receive vocational training, including at local restaurants, supermarkets, libraries, kindergartens, and the like, as well as individual lessons aimed at enhancing interpersonal and life skills with an eye toward future independence.
The past two years have been particularly challenging for Darkaynu's organizers, who struggled to ensure students could continue to benefit from the Israel experience but were limited by the many obstacles presented by the pandemic. The sincere hope is that for the eight girls and 12 boys who arrived in Israel this week, the year will go ahead as planned.
"I am so excited to finally be here in Israel and can't wait to have a real learning experience," said Chaya Brayman of Rochester, NY "Even though we are now in mandatory isolation, we are having a lot of fun and spending quality time getting to know each other well."
"At the heart of Ohr Torah Stone's message is the belief that Judaism belongs to every Jew regardless of his or her background or abilities and that it should therefore be made accessible to anyone who wishes to grow closer," said Rabbi Dr. Kenneth Brander, president and head of the yeshiva at Ohr Torah Stone.
"As educators, parents, and people who represent Torah values, we are obligated to create the frameworks to enable this also for people with special needs and to provide them with necessary solutions in all areas of life, including the year-in-Israel experience," he said.
Reprinted with permission from JNS.org.
