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Mission:
- Works to foster a community that includes all individuals
- Advocates for disability services that advance inclusion
- Strives to eliminate the stigma associated with disabilities
- Encourages community support and participation to create and sustain new and existing disability services
Methods:
- Delivers educational programs designed to raise awareness, promote inclusion, and embrace diversity
- Provides support to leading experts dedicated to advancing our goals
- Convenes policy makers, service providers and community leaders to develop plans to further the provision of disability services
- Collaborates with local, national, and international partners to leverage our mission for optimal impact
For any information on Alexander Institute for Inclusion contact
Marni Litvack at mlitvack@jfshouston.org or 713.667.9336 x209.
Upcoming Programs
Upcoming Programming Host City Organizer for
Lead Sponsor
Ongoing Programs
- Coalition of Related Agencies
- 2007 – Present
- Meets as necessary
- Coalition of Direct Service Providers
- 2011 – Present
- Executive level representation from every Jewish organization in Houston that provides services to individuals with disabilities.
- Group of Jewish Communal Professionals in Houston who meet on a quarterly basis to coordinate calendars, share program updates, look for opportunities to collaborate and cross training.
- Inclusion Committee Consultation
- 2010 – Present
- Provide on-going consultation to any area synagogue or Jewish organization that wants to implement an inclusion committee.
Past Programs
Speakers
- Rabbi Bradley Artson
- 2008, 2009
- Rabbi Shawn Fields-Meyer
- 2008
- Jeffrey Lichtman
- 2008, 2009
- www.njcd.org
- Shelly Christensen
- 2010 Recipient of the Bettie and Bernard Farfel Award
- 2011 – Yom Limmud presenter and consultation
- www.jfcsmpls.org
- www.inclusiontoinnovation.com
- Rabbi Lynn Landsberg
- 2012
Arts
- Praying with Lior
- 2008
- Sponsorship of Showing at ERJCC
- Facilitated Post Screening Conversation
- www.prayingwithlior.com
- Wretches & Jabberers
- 2010
- Sponsorship of showing at BBYO Regional Convention
- Post screening conversation with Tracy Thresher and Larry Bissonnette
- www.wretchesandjabberers.org
- Deaf Jam
- 2012
- Sponsorship at ERJCC Film Festival
- www.deafjam.org
- Dolphin Boy
- 2012
- Sponsorship at ERJCC Film Festival
- Facilitated post screening conversation
- Dolphinboyfilm.com
- Beyond the Boundaries
- 2012
- Sponsorship at ERJCC Film Festival
- ski-to-live.com/the-premire-beyond-the-boundaries
- The Flood
- 2012
- Sponsorship at ERJCC Film Festival
- www.k5film.com/films/mabul-the-flood
Community
- Sponsor “J” Serve
- 2010
- Yom Limmud, 2008
- Dr. Ruth Strudler & Karol Musher
- Enabling Success for Your Child with Learning Disabilities
- JFS Alexander Institute Display & Information table
- Project Shalom – handmade gifts
- JFS sponsored supportive classroom and closed captioning
- Yom Limmud, 2009
- Naomi Duke, CFP
- Special Needs Call for Special Planning
- JFS Alexander Institute Display & Information table
- Project Shalom – handmade gifts
- JFS sponsored supportive classroom and closed captioning
- Yom Limmud, 2010
- JFS Alexander Institute Display & Information table
- Project Shalom – handmade gifts
- JFS sponsored supportive classroom and closed captioning
- Yom Limmud, 2011
- Shelly Christensen
- Journey of Hope
- The Tachlis of Inclusion: Moving from Invisibility to Visibly IN
- Inclusion Consultation
- Even Moses Needed a Voice: Talking the Talk and Walking the Walk
- JFS Alexander Institute Display & Information table
- Project Shalom and Celebration Company handmade gifts
- JFS sponsored supportive classroom and closed captioning
- Yom Limmud, 2012
- JFS Information Table
- Project Shalom and Celebration Company handmade gifts
- JFS sponsored supportive classroom and closed captioning
- Collage
- Provided closed captioning 2009, 2010, 2011
- ERJCC Jewish Books and Art Fair
- Provided closed captioning 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011
- In 2011 ERJCC signed a memorandum of understanding with JFS that will require the ERJCC to cover the full cost of closed captioning within a 3 year period.
- Project Now
- 2009, 2010
- Jewish Family Service supported a consultant for Project NOW, a program of the Bureau of Jewish Education that was developed to help assess the overall needs of the early childhood classroom. The BJE provided an educational specialist to each of the 10 early childhood programs.
- Yad B Yad
- 2009
- Jewish Family Service supported the professional for Yad B Yad, an afterschool inclusion program at the Robert M. Beren Academy. The pilot program was in response to families looking for a Jewish day school experience for their child with disabilities. The goal was to provide Jewish children with an hour and a half of Jewish programming within the warmth of a Day School mainstreaming setting.
- Club Haver
- 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011
- Jewish Family Service supported the staffing needs of Club Haver
- Club Haver was created to provide a social group experience for school aged children with disabilities. Monthly activities were held at the JCC and included things such as: concerts, Family Hanukkah Festival, Purim crafts, Friendship Circle Passover Celebration and Yom Haatzmaut, Bingo Bonanza and a Mad Science Event.
Updated April 2012
