The Torah of Disability Inclusion—JDAIM 2019

Rabbi Ruti Regan will be at Adath Jeshurun Congregation as our Numero-Steinfeldt Scholar-in-Residence the weekend of February 22-24, 2019 as part of JDAIM—Jewish Disability Awareness, Acceptance & Inclusion Month.

Rabbi Regan will spend Friday at Adath welcoming Shabbat with Gan Shelanu Preschool, then assist Hazzan Joanna Dulkin for her weekly talk to the Pre-K class about the Parsha before making a presentation to B’nai Mitzvah educators and members of the Minnesota Cantors Association on “Inclusive Bar/Bat Mitzvah Prep.”

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On Shabbat, Rabbi Regan will visit with SMP (Shabbat Morning Program) 8-12 Graders for a discussion and workshop before delivering D’var Torah on “Standing Our Sacred Ground.” Afterwards she will once again join SMP for “Taste of Tefilah” learners minyan for students 5-8 Grade and SMP tutors. After Kiddush, Rabbi Regan will lead a Learn After Lunch session in the Chapel titled “From Degradation to Praise: A disability-informed approach to Haggadah” that is co-sponsored by Makom (20’s and 30’s Group).

Sunday will see Rabbi Regan spending time with B’Yachad (our Sunday school program for K-1st Grade) before visiting Talmud Torah at the Sabes JCC to meet with Hazzan Jeremy Lipton, as well as lead a Disability Scavenger Hunt for Talmud Torah teachers & local educators.

We hope you can join us.

Rabbi Ruti Regan is a feminist rabbi, liturgist, and a disabled disability advocate. Rabbi Regan believes that ritual actions speak louder than words. Through creative artistic effort, our ritual can more fully embody the values we hold dear. Rabbi Regan is an American patriot who believes that ritual competence can help us to heal from the current troubles in our political system.

As a disabled disability advocate, Rabbi Regan writes the realsocialskills.org blog, reframing social skills as the pursuit of Hillel’s mandate: That which is hateful to you, do not do to others. The rest is commentary. Now go and learn it. 

Rabbi Regan provides ritual consulting, and training for rabbis, cantors, and communities in accessibility and disability-informed spiritual leadership.

Rabbi Regan is a prominent rabbinic voice on Twitter, renowned on the platform for her posts about the intersection of disability and Jewish text, thought and practice. For Regan, teaching what she calls “disability-informed Torah” is deeply personal. When she was ordained in 2017 with an MA in Ritual Arts at the Jewish Theological Seminary, she became the rabbinic school’s first openly autistic graduate. Prior to JTS, Rabbi Regan studied in the Drisha Scholar’s Circle from 2010-2012, and the Conservative Yeshiva in Jerusalem from 2008-2010.

Rabbi Regan is the founder of a lively Twitter conversation about the week’s Torah portion as seen through the lens of those living with disabilities. Everyone’s invited to participate or follow along via the hashtag #parshachat.

Rabbi Regan is a disability scholar in residence at Matan in New York City, where she teaches about building more inclusive Jewish communities through training both online and in person across North America. She is married to Ari Neeman, an entrepreneur and disability rights advocate who also is autistic and a fellow prolific tweeter.

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