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up . “ Ashamed of him ? Not at all . We were proud of him , of his efforts , his accomplishments ,” says his sister Shifra . “ Our parents brought us up with the understanding that he was a part of the family and we never questioned that ,” says Leah . “ He had his chores like we all did , he did what he could in his own way , and we accepted him .”
Mrs . Levy-Lerer , Avraham ’ s mother , says that Avraham had always been especially good-natured and attuned to ruchniyus . “ He ’ s a ' Shabbos Jew '. One of his jobs was to set the table for Shabbos . During the short winter Fridays , he ’ d always urge me to hurry to be ready in time for Shabbos .” Avraham loves going to shul , especially the Gerrer beis medrash , where he would go with his father from age three . He follows all the tefillos and Torah readings , and stays to the end . “ He ’ s proud that he ’ s a chassid , and is uncompromising in his demand for only male therapists ,” his mother notes . When Avraham was born , the field of special education was vastly underdeveloped in the chareidi world , with no support , financial or otherwise , from the authorities . Nevertheless , Rabbi Dov and his wife invested unstintingly in Avraham ’ s development , seeking qualified teachers .
“ The first priority was for him to learn to read , a skill he mastered painstakingly after several years ,” Mrs . Levy-Lerer says , noting that there were only a handful of chareidi special-ed teachers to choose from . In later years , the Levys paid for a tutor to teach Avraham Jewish subjects , such as siddur and Chumash . “ I remember one of the professionals discouraging us . He claimed that tutoring a few times a week wasn ’ t enough , that he needed intensive treatment . But there was no way we would send him to a secular
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facility — and by then , Avraham himself wouldn ’ t have agreed to it , either !”
All those efforts , and the lessons learned , were quickly funneled into what would later become known as the Seeach Sod educational network .
“ Only when I was in my twenties ,” remarks Rabbi Shimon , “ after studying special education and starting to work professionally , did I understand that what we had been doing intuitively at home was what is known as integration . Our parents had a healthy attitude and were way ahead of their time .”
When Rabbi Shimon grew up , it was uncommon to discuss one ’ s feelings . “ Avraham would travel by himself to Bnei Brak and go to the shtibel . They were kind to him , they really tried , but I remember feeling confused and self-conscious , as the brother of the ‘ nebach .’”
Rabbi Shimon recalls the emotional turmoil when , at family weddings , Avraham was invited to dance in the middle of the circle . “ He enjoyed being the center of attention , and the guests egged him on , with hand-clapping and smiles . I know they weren ’ t mocking him ; but I was beside myself with embarrassment . Those experiences helped me understand the importance of providing professional support for the siblings and parents of the special child .”
Lacking a suitable framework , Avraham spent his teen years at the yeshivah ketanah of Gur , running errands , helping in the kitchen , serving tea . Despite his inability to participate in the learning , the Mashgiach proudly pointed to him as a shining example of yiras Shamayim . Avraham exhibited this fundamental trait in all daily interactions .
When keeping Avraham at yeshivah was no longer feasible , the Levys
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sought suitable employment for him . “ Every time we embarked on a new project at Seeach Sod , Avraham was the picture that we had in front of our eyes ; it was through this lens that we envisioned the future for our students ,” says Rabbi Levy .
Early attempts to provide him with employment included purchasing a hand-operated wheat grinder to produce flour for baking matzos . That particular venture didn ’ t pan out ; however , it illustrated the belief that being born with disabilities doesn ’ t preclude a person from being capable of joining the work force and earning an honest wage .
Housing was the next milestone . “ When the time came to form the first core group for a supported housing program , my parents were reluctant to include Avraham . They may have been the founders of Seeach Sod , but at the end of the day , they were only human and found it painful to send him out of the house .
“ During the research period , we
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