In an increasingly interconnected world, the need for inclusive, collaborative approaches to support people with disabilities has never been greater. Through joint initiatives, missions, and awareness campaigns, collaborations among Canadian Jewish and Israeli organizations are making meaningful changes on both sides of the ocean while transforming lives and fostering innovation in the field of disability services.
Guided by the principles of Tikkun Olam — repairing the world — these communities more and more view the inclusion of people with disabilities not merely as a responsibility, but as a moral imperative. This ethos, highlighting the inherent dignity and value of every individual, has inspired numerous cross-border partnerships aimed at enhancing quality of life, expanding access to services, and promoting social inclusion for individuals with diverse abilities.
A key example of these partnerships in action is Jewish Disability Awareness & Inclusion Month (JDAIM), observed every February. Spearheaded by Jewish organizations across North America and recently embraced by Israeli partners, JDAIM is a global movement to raise awareness, remove barriers, and promote inclusion within our diverse societies.
Canadian Jewish organizations regularly partner with Israeli counterparts, such as Israel Elwyn, to share best practices and highlight inclusive programs. These collaborations emphasize accessibility in schools, workplaces, synagogues, and community centres, underscoring that full participation in community life must be available to everyone.
We were honoured to host representatives from Canadian agencies — Jewish and non-Jewish — working in disability services and advocacy on their 2023 Inclusion Mission to Israel. Organized by the Reena organization, participants travelled to Israel to explore innovative Israeli models of inclusion, support provision, and accessibility.
The mission facilitated peer-to-peer learning and sparked discussions around inclusive employment, supported living, and legal system models. Participants visited Israel Elwyn’s supported employees with disabilities who work at the Knesset (Israeli Parliament), where they also met Shalom Lev, a staff member in Israel Elwyn’s executive offices who is actively involved in advocacy efforts as a person with lived experience. These self-advocacy efforts have led to real legislative changes in Israel. The mission members visited our Weinberg Retiree Centre, which supports seniors with disabilities, where they met former Member of Knesset (MK) Shirley Pinto—the first MK with deafness in Israel. Ms. Pinto shared her inspiring personal journey of growing up with deafness, building a family, and entering public service. Deeply moved by her story, mission members later invited her to speak at several events across Canada. The mission wasn’t just about knowledge-sharing; it was about creating enduring relationships that continue to yield collaborative projects today.
With the outbreak of hostilities on October 7, 2023, Bryan Keshen, the CEO of Reena, organized a series of Zoom conferences to support Israeli colleagues and to reach out to strengthen the resilience of both Canadian professionals and their Israeli counterparts. Israeli professionals reported at these Zoom sessions about how they were affected by trauma and conflict, and their remarkable response and resilience.
These partnerships between our two countries are noteworthy not just for their reach but also for the diversity they represent. Israel, like Canada, has a very diverse society, and so agencies such as ours provide support services for individuals with disabilities who are Jewish, Muslim, Christian, Druze, and Bedouin, a testament to the country’s multicultural approach to inclusion. Canadian Jewish organizations are similarly committed to serving diverse communities, including immigrants, refugees, and First Nation communities with disabilities.
Equally important, our agencies in both Israel and Canada are powered by professionals who are no less diverse. Multicultural, multidisciplinary teams bring a wealth of experience and cultural competence to their work, ensuring services are tailored to each individual’s needs. Many professionals in our agencies in both countries themselves have disabilities, creating authentic representation and modeling leadership and self-empowerment. In short, focusing on our mission and not politics or our differences makes us better professionals and provides better outcomes.
As the world becomes more aware of the importance of inclusion, Canadian Jewish and Israeli organizations are poised to lead by example in addressing universal challenges. By continuing to share innovations, co-develop programming, and support one another through both triumph and adversity, these partnerships will only grow stronger.