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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D'>This is really interesting. I appreciate you sending this explanation to me.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D'>Thank you very much. Wan<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'> Ohio-Communities-of-Faith [mailto:ohio-communities-of-faith-bounces@nfbnet.org] <b>On Behalf Of </b>carolyn peters via Ohio-Communities-of-Faith<br><b>Sent:</b> Saturday, April 17, 2021 3:12 AM<br><b>To:</b> ohio-communities-of-faith@nfbnet.org<br><b>Cc:</b> carolyn peters <drcarolyn-peters@att.net><br><b>Subject:</b> [Ohio-Communities-of-Faith] Fwd: Judaism and the Blind<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'>Greetings Ohio communities of Fay please read this article from Mrs. Honey Joy.<o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal>Sent from my iPhone<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><br>Begin forwarded message:<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><b>From:</b> Honey Massey <<a href="mailto:honey_joy@sbcglobal.net">honey_joy@sbcglobal.net</a>><br><b>Date:</b> April 15, 2021 at 9:44:26 PM EDT<br><b>To:</b> Carolyn Peters <<a href="mailto:drcarolyn-peters@att.net">drcarolyn-peters@att.net</a>><br><b>Cc:</b> Cheryl Fields <<a href="mailto:cefields55@gmail.com">cefields55@gmail.com</a>><br><b>Subject:</b> <b>Judaism and the Blind</b><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif'></span><o:p></o:p></p><div><div id=ydpa48a63a7yiv1168198225><div><div><div><p class=ydp438c093dmsonormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif'>:Dear Carolyn, Cheryl Fields asked me to write about Judaism and the Blind. </span><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=ydp438c093dmsonormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif'> National Federation for the Blind</span><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=ydp438c093dmsonormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif'>From: Honey Massey, Client at Cleveland Sight Center</span><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=ydp438c093dmsonormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif'>Re: How Judaism accommodates the Blind and Visually Impaired </span><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=ydp438c093dmsonormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif'>In Leviticus, the third book of the Bible (Old Testament), Chapter 19, Verse 14, it states “<span style='color:#001320;background:white'>Do not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block in front of the blind but fear your God. I am the Lord.”</span></span><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=ydp438c093dmsonormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#001320;background:white'>One can interpret this literally, but metaphorically it is quite profound. We are commanded not to mislead those who perhaps would have less opportunity to know what is correct. It requires us to try to be as clear as possible in our guidance of others and not lead them on the wrong path. </span><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=ydp438c093dmsonormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#001320;background:white'>This sounds very enlightened and there is no doubt that the Bible is sensitive to those with disabilities. However, it is also clear that there were some religious restrictions placed on blind people at that time. Because the Torah reader must not make a mistake and he reads for the entire community, and since there were no Braille or large print books, the blind were not allowed to be public readers before the community. </span><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=ydp438c093dmsonormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#001320;background:white'>A blind person could not be a Kohen or of the priestly tribe, because the priestly tribe had responsibility for the ritual animal sacrifices. The animal had to be </span><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#001320;background:white'>inspected</span><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#001320;background:white'> to be ritually pure with no blemishes and slaughtered in a prescribed way, so this position could not be carried out by a blind person. While today animal sacrifice seems harsh and cruel, at the time it was considered acceptable, and even required. </span><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=ydp438c093dmsonormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#001320;background:white'>Judaism gives a path to follow God’s commandments. We know we are not there yet, but we are always seeking ways to get closer to being the holy people that God demands </span><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#001320;background:white'>us to be</span><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#001320;background:white'>. So, Judaism has taken the steps necessary to accommodate the blind. Our Rabbi told us a story of a blind Rabbinical student who received his ordination after the prescribed years of study. This is because the Bible in now written in Braille, as are all our holy books.</span><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=ydp438c093dmsonormal style='margin-bottom:5.15pt'><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#1D2228'>Most Synagogues have prayer books in large print* and/or Braille. I focus on the Cleveland community, but I think this works for all Jewish community organizations across the country.</span><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=ydp438c093dyiv7783596054msonormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1D2228'>Other community organizations, such as the Mandel Jewish Community Center and Bellefaire JCB, offer services/support on a case-by-case basis. An example would be at the Mandel JCC Day Camp having a companion counselor. This allows blind and visually impaired children to attend summer camp. Children of all faiths are welcome. </span><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=ydp438c093dyiv7783596054msonormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1D2228'>Menorah Park (senior living) has large print* books available and services for those who are visually impaired and living on their campus. This holds true for most senior living dwellings. </span><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=ydp438c093dyiv7783596054msonormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1D2228'>Jewish Family Service Association: (JFSA) provides support to help people live as independently as possible in the community. However, that is defined for each person, they will try and assist. The JFSA services are not limited to those of the Jewish faith. </span><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=ydp438c093dyiv7783596054msonormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1D2228'>*Large Print and Braille prayer books can be purchased online on Amazon and other websites, such as those listed below:</span><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=ydp438c093dyiv7783596054msonormal style='background:white'><span class=ydp438c093dmsohyperlink><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#0563C1'><a href="https://www.alljudaica.com/Large-Print-Prayerbooks-s/1042.htm">https://www.alljudaica.com/Large-Print-Prayerbooks-s/1042.htm</a></span></span><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=ydp438c093dyiv7783596054msonormal style='background:white'><span class=ydp438c093dmsohyperlink><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#0563C1'>h</span></span><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif'><a href="https://www.artscroll.com/Categories/PE6.html" target="_blank"><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#0563C1'>ttps://www.artscroll.com/Categories/PE6.html</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=ydp438c093dyiv7783596054msonormal style='background:white'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif'><a href="http://www.jewishheritage.org/braille.html" target="_blank"><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#0563C1'>http://www.jewishheritage.org/braille.html</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=ydp438c093dyiv7783596054msonormal style='background:white'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif'><a href="https://www.jbilibrary.org/BrailleLibrary/braille_library3.php" target="_blank">JBI International</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div id="ydp69960c5aenhancr_card_8565203245"><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td width=400 style='width:300.0pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'><table class=MsoNormalTable border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width="100%" style='width:100.0%;border:solid #E0E4E9 1.0pt'><tr style='height:131.25pt'><td valign=top style='border:none;background:black;padding:0in 0in 0in 0in;height:131.25pt'><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width="100%" style='width:100.0%'><tr><td valign=top style='padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0 width="100%" style='width:100.0%'><tr><td valign=top style='padding:11.25pt 0in 0in 11.25pt'></td><td valign=top style='padding:11.25pt 11.25pt 0in 0in'></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td style='border:none;padding:0in 0in 0in 0in;border-radius:0 0 0 2px'><div align=center><table class=MsoNormalTable border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width="100%" style='width:100.0%;background:white;border:none;border-top:solid #E0E4E9 1.0pt;max-width:400px;border-radius:0 0 2px 2px;z-index:2'><tr><td valign=top style='border:none;padding:12.0pt 0in 12.0pt 9.0pt'></td><td width="99%" style='width:99.0%;border:none;padding:9.0pt .25in 12.0pt 9.0pt;border-radius:0 0 2px 0'><h2 style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:4.5pt;margin-left:0in;line-height:14.25pt;max-width: 314px'><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:#26282A'>JBI International<o:p></o:p></span></h2></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1D2228'>I belong to a traditional synagogue where I have been on the board, served as an usher, and been called to the Torah. Although electronic devices would not be allowed , I use my magnifier and light throughout the service. The goal is to allow people to pray and if this means disregarding the prohibition on using electricity , then that is the case. If you have any other questions, I will try to respond.</span><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><p class=ydp438c093dyiv7783596054msonormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1D2228'>‘Honey Massey </span><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=ydp438c093dyiv7783596054msonormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1D2228'> </span><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=ydp438c093dyiv7783596054msonormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'> </span><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=ydp438c093dmsonormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif'> </span><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div></div></div></div></div></div></body></html>