
In May, Jewish leaders from across North America and Israel will gather at the Prosserman JCC in Toronto for Pushing the Boundaries 2, a conference focused on disability awareness and inclusion in Jewish life.
Since its inception in 2018, Pushing the Boundaries has provided participants with the tools to dismantle the social, economic, and physical barriers that prevent Jews with disabilities from fully engaging in Jewish life.
Several representatives from Ottawa will attend, including the Jewish Federation of Ottawa’s advocacy expert, Jodi Green, along with Rabbi Deborah Zuker and Dr. Madelaine Werier. Each has been actively involved in disability advocacy and fostering a more inclusive Jewish community.
Dr. Werier, founder of the Jewish Ottawa Inclusion Network (JOIN), serves on the conference board and previously chaired the 2019 iteration of the event in Ottawa.
“The next steps for our community to grow is to embody inclusion in everything we do,” said Werier. “Disability inclusion enhances the social capital and cohesion of our community which benefits us all.”
Federation’s Jodi Green is also involved in planning the conference. A former Tamir employee who worked to integrate Jewish life into programs for clients with disabilities, Green now serves on the Pushing the Boundaries National Advisory Committee. She collaborates with Jewish leaders across Canada to advance accessibility and inclusion within their organizations.
“I have a passion for working with the disability community,” Green said. “I want to ensure Ottawa’s Jewish community is as inclusive as possible, so I was honoured to be asked to represent Federation on the committee.”
The conference is open to anyone interested in learning more about disability inclusion and advocacy. Attendees will gain insight into integrating people of all abilities into Jewish life and broader society.
“Come to the conference,” Green said. “There will be more than 50 speakers covering a wide range of topics. And after, take what you’ve learned and use it to create change in your own community.”
One way to foster greater awareness is through apps like AccessNow, founded by Maayan Ziv, which allows users to identify and rate the accessibility of public spaces.
“Look around,” said Green. “Consider how accessibility, or the lack of it, impacts the daily lives of individuals who must navigate these challenges every day.”
The event is taking place from May 5 to 6 at the Prosserman JCC in Toronto. To learn more about the conference, click here. You will also find registration information on that page.
Furthermore, you can reach out to Jodi Green at jgreen@jewishottawa.com to learn more about how Federation and the wider Ottawa Jewish community can get involved both locally and nationally.