ALEENA BUCHANAN

ALBANY– In conjunction with Jewish Disability Awareness and Inclusion Month (JDAIM), which is February, programming for Friday, Feb. 20, and Saturday, Feb. 21, of the Colonie Chabad Jewish Center will focus on learning how community members can better support people with disabilities so that they feel at home in the synagogue and at community events.

The Shabbat dinner at 5 p.m. will feature Aleena Buchanan, a Siena student.

“Our community, just like every community, includes people with disabilities,” said Rabbi Mordechai Rubin, co-director of the Colonie Chabad Jewish Center. “We may not always see or understand what someone is going through, but we can work to create an environment where everyone feels welcome and like they truly belong at Chabad.”

The project, dubbed “ShabbaTTogether,” is a project of the Ruderman Chabad Inclusion Initiative, an organization that empowers Jewish communities to create a welcoming and inclusive environment for people with disabilities and mental health conditions.

Classes, sermons, and discussions over the course of the weekend will be geared towards creating a mindset of inclusiveness, as well as practical ways to help people living with disabilities feel welcome.

To participate in dinner and or services, Rubin requests that he be contacted at ChaiCenterColonie@gmail.com or 518-368-7886.