Nachas
FROM EVERY CHILD
By Rachel Gross
N achas : The pride a Jewish parent takes in their child ’ s development and success in life . It ’ s what you dream of before your children are born and what keeps you going through the tough times of parenting . But what happens when the regular order is upset ?
Nachas Moments
Jewish life is full of scheduled " nachas moments ." The upsheren , Chumash party , siddur party , bar or bat mitzvah , high school graduation , etc . From the moment a baby is born , Jewish parents are anticipating the nachas that they will reap for all their hard work .
When Tzirel Cohen was diagnosed with developmental delays , her mother Ruchie accepted that Tzirel would not achieve the same milestones as her siblings . “ I understood that she didn ’ t have the same capacity as her brothers and sisters , so I figured that we ’ d celebrate different moments ,” Ruchie explained .
But even with such a pragmatic approach , it was hard to let go of those dreams . “ When her older sister ’ s siddur party came around , I couldn ’ t help feeling sad that Tzirel would never get to daven from a siddur .”
What Ruchie didn ’ t know at the time was that Tzirel would attend Seeach Sod , where these milestones are not only seen as sources of parents ’ nachas , but even more so , the privilege and right of every Jewish child , special needs nothwithstanding .
Last year , Ruchie watched with tears running down her face as Tzirel walked proudly across the stage to collect her siddur with the rest of her class at Seeach Sod .
A place in their community
What sets Seeach Sod apart from other institutions for those with special needs is its commitment to supporting the Jewish expression of its students , regardless of their challenges .
“ In our work , we don ’ t see a child with limitations to overcome . We see a Jewish neshamah that needs tools to perform mitzvos ,” explains Shoshi Kofman , head of the Seeach Sod ’ s Girls Elementary School program .
The warmth and passion that Shoshi Kofman feels for her students are evident as soon as she begins to describe the lifecycle program . “ Our goal is to give our members the same Jewish experiences as their siblings . That means having the same events at the same grade level . We simply adapt the activity to fit their level of ability ,” she says .
While it may seem incongruous to have a siddur party for a girl who hasn ’ t yet learned to read , or to have a boy who can ’ t speak give a bar mitzvah
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