[NFBJ] Article in June Braille Monitor

[Stewart Prost]

Greetings and Shabat Shalom, everyone,
The June issue of the Braille Monitor has come out online today.  The
article, *A Minority Within A Minority, Within a Minority* is in this
issue.  The article as published, appears below and is attached to this
email.  I wanted to get this out before both Shabat and Shavuot start.  I
hope to see many of you at our meeting during National Convention.  Once
the agenda comes out, I will send out the details of our meeting.

Shabat Shalom & Chag Samauch,
Stewart Prost, Chair, NFB in Judaism
Phone: 757-572-6891
Email: sprost82 at gmail.com
A Minority within a Minority within a Minority…

*by **Stewart Prost*

*[image: Stewart Prost]From the Editor: Stewart Prost is the chairman of
the NFB in Judaism Group. He is married to Debra, and they live in
Virginia. **They enjoy travel, eating out, going to the beach, swimming,
going to plays, and watching movies.*

*Stewart’s list of activities and leadership reads like a who’s who, with
long-term leadership in the NFB, his synagogue, and many civic
organization. He knows what it means to be integrated and active in his
community. Here is what he has to say about the traditions of his faith and
religion as well as ideas about how to increase participation from the
Jewish community:*

For over two thousand years, Jewish people have migrated and lived in most
nations throughout the world. Except for the modern state of Israel, Jews
are a minority in all areas of the world, including the United States.
Among people who identify as Jewish, there is a minority of persons with
disabilities, and within that group there is another minority who are blind
or have low vision. People who are blind and have low vision are a minority
within a minority within a minority. You get the picture.

Judaism is more than just a religious faith. It is history, culture, family
connections, and community. Like many other religious groups, Judaism is
made up of different denominations. These denominations include Orthodox,
Conservative, Reform, Re-constructionist, and others. Each denomination has
different traditions, practices, and approaches to what it means to be
Jewish. This is no different from what you find in Christianity (e.g.,
Protestant, Catholic, Greek Orthodox, and Russian Orthodox).

When many people in synagogues and other Jewish institutions think about
accommodating people with disabilities, the first thing that comes to their
minds is making physical changes such as putting in wheelchair ramps. When
it comes to people who are blind or have low vision, the one thing people
always think about is magnifiers as a "one size fits all" solution. In many
synagogues the prayer books used are not available in Braille or even in an
electronic format for people with Braille notetakers. People think large
print is the answer for everyone without normal vision. This is also the
case with materials for Bible study and other learning opportunities. As
blind people we wish to be equal participants in all aspects of Jewish life.

The NFB in Judaism Group was formed many years ago so that members and
other blind people who happen to be Jewish can share concerns and ideas
with each other and work to be part of their Jewish communities and the
NFB. In addition to meeting during national conventions, the group has
begun to meet using Zoom during the year.

One area of discussion for this group has been finding ways to reach out to
other blind people who are Jewish, thus encouraging more Jewish people to
become active NFB members.

In thinking about being as inclusive as possible, NFB national divisions,
committees, state affiliates, and local chapters should consider the
practices of observant or traditional Jews. A traditional or observant Jew
is an individual who observes the practices of traditional Judaism. This
includes most Orthodox, many Conservative, and some Reform Jews. However,
these practices will vary from individual to individual. Here are general
examples of traditional Jewish practices:

Observance of Shabbat (the Sabbath). Shabbat traditionally runs from just
before sunset Friday evening to just after sunset Saturday evening. This
time is considered holy by observant Jews and is therefore differentiated
from the rest of the week. During this time, some people will not drive or
use any motorized transportation, will not use electronics, will not
conduct financial transactions, or will not attend to regular business
activities. Again, these practices will vary from individual to individual
and from denomination to denomination. (There have been some changes in
practices due to the pandemic.) Traditional Jews follow these same
practices during major holidays, which include the following:

   - Rosh Hashanah (The Jewish New Year)—celebrated just before or during
   autumn. This is celebrated for either one or two days.
   - Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement)—observed ten days after Rosh Hashanah.
   - Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles)—observed after Yom Kippur, the first two
   and last two days of an eight-day holiday.
   - Pesach (Passover)—celebrated in spring, first two and last two days of
   an eight-day holiday.
   - Shavuot (Feast of Weeks)—roughly six weeks after Passover.

NOTE: Jewish holidays do not occur on the same date every year. They are
based on a lunar calendar, which is modified to keep each holiday within
the same season of each year. Please consult the Diversity and Inclusion
calendar developed by the NFB's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee.

Special dietary practices, referred to as Kashrut or keeping Kosher: In
general, this includes separation of milk and meat, not eating pork or
shellfish, and eating meat that is produced in a special way. Some people
who keep kosher will eat fish or vegetarian dishes outside the home or in
kosher restaurants; others will not.

The items above are a very basic description of traditional Jewish
practices and do not include everything, nor is it possible to go into
detail about the thinking behind all of these practices. There are many
Jews who do not follow all or even part of the practices of traditional
Judaism.

Here are some suggestions that would make NFB activities more inclusive to
observant Jews:

In areas of the country with high Jewish populations, have chapter or
affiliate activities on Sunday afternoon or during the week rather than on
Saturday. At the very least, when possible, avoid having activities on
Saturday morning, since this is when services are held. (This would be the
same as holding activities on Sunday morning when many Christians attend
church services.) If at all possible, avoid holding NFB activities on major
Jewish holidays.

If meals are a part of any activity, offer either to arrange for kosher
food or at least a fish, vegetarian, or vegan option. If there are people
who choose not to eat out in non-kosher settings, allow them to arrange or
bring in their own food to enjoy with everyone else.

If invocations are a part of any NFB activity, Jewish members should be
invited to lead some of the invocations.

The NFB should stand ready to advocate for our Jewish members to be full
participants in all of its activities, as well as those of the Jewish
community.

Jews are a minority in our country and in the NFB. Therefore, it may not
always be possible to accommodate all of these practices. For example, a
local chapter may not be able to meet on any day other than Saturday
because of transportation. If a meeting must take place on a Saturday,
having it in the afternoon would allow some Jewish members to attend after
their morning services. If a national division, committee, or group cannot
avoid having a meeting during a major Jewish holiday, schedule another
session of the activity on a different day. This would increase
participation in that activity.
The NFB has a lot to offer blind people who happen to be Jewish. At the
same time, those people have a lot to offer our organization. We need to do
all we can to reach out to and include people who are a minority within a
minority within a minority.
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