Knesset Meeting- Planning for Jewish Disability & Inclusion Month at OJCS

By Jenny, Knesset Communications Rep

Today at our Knesset meeting we have a guest speaker named Madelaine Werier joining us to teach us about the Jewish Ottawa Inclusion Network and help us celebrate the Jewish Disability and Inclusion Month (February) at OJCS. Madelaine is telling us about what The Jewish Ottawa Inclusion Network is and what they stand for. 

In February, Knesset will be giving tzedakah to The Ripple Effect. Madelaine is giving us many useful ideas to make our February Rosh Chodesh Assembly and Jewish Disability and Inclusion Month. The first way she mentioned was the welcome statement. Another idea Maddie gave us was to revisit our Knesset mission statement to include our commitment to being inclusive. Maybe we can create a mission to show the other students in our school that everyone can do something to help one another. Maybe we could do a class challenge to bring awareness to the importance of inclusivity. Donating money can be part of awareness campaigns but giving time is even more important. Even just holding the door for the person behind you can make a big difference in their day. How about a video? Making a video is a really easy was to make someone feel welcome, especially to a new environment. Maybe you don’t even have to do something special, by just asking them to do something with you could make them feel more welcome. The person you are spending time with doesn’t even have to be in your grade, branch out, talk to people from the grade above or below you. I know that if someone I didn’t know came and played with me I would feel much better. 

Madelaine did mention that a very important word is advocacy for us to learn about and think about how to incorporate it into Jewish Disability and Inclusion Month at OJCS. This Knesset meeting was very helpful and meaningful to our Knesset team. Thank you so much Madelaine- you definitely gave us some really amazing ideas.