Keshet’s mission is to create a community of belonging, where people with disabilities learn, play work and live with people of all abilities. Keshet offers so many inclusive programs and opportunities for children and adults with intellectual disabilities throughout the year, but with life getting back to normal and camp in full swing   I can’t help but focus on Keshet’s inclusive Jewish day camp and overnight camp.

And here is why I am so focused on camp now:  The kind of camp made possible by the partnership of Keshet and the JCC is exactly what I would have loved and benefitted from:  It is a microcosm of how I believe society could and should be., where support is provided in order for kids of all abilities to be together, and have the same opportunities, the same experiences, and the same choices. 

Every child at camp has unique needs, but awareness of the issues and established protocols, modifications, and accommodations can make the camp experience rewarding and fun for kids with and without disabilities.  what Keshet does to hire staff and the staffing model they have put together, as well as their ability to train all staff is what makes this possible. This is what Keshet does, and in so doing, it comes close to creating that ideal society.

I’ve never been to Camp Chi.  Everything I know about it is anecdotal. Based on these anecdotes and because I am blind, I have created an image in my head of what Camp Chi because of Keshet’s support looks like.  Here is what I see:  It’s Friday night, hundreds of kids and staff are in the dining hall.  There is singing and laughing.  It is loud, joyful, raucous.  I see kids of all ages, all sizes and all abilities.  They are all together, sharing the fun, celebrating Shabbat. Together.   Only the occasional wheelchair, the kid singing in sign language, the adaptive support being given where needed distinguishes a camper with a disability. 

There is no separateness, no sense of difference because each camper is unique in his or her needs.  This is what Keshet does,it supports a child so that his disability doesn’t separate him from this fun experience, doesn’t make him miss out or make choices that the other kids don’t have to.  It is a group experience and everyone belongs, everyone can participate and everyone benefits.

Because of its partnership with Keshet, Camp Chi and Apache Day camps can welcome a child and tell a parent, “What your child needs is what your child gets and he or she will be fully a part of the camp community.  Your child belongs here and will feel that belonging.”. this is actually what Keshet offers children and adults with disabilities every day, all year long.

In my mind’s eye, I see all kinds of kids at Camp Chi:   Campers who are brown haired, blonde, tall, short—all shapes and sizes.  I see athletic kids, kids who like drama, cooking, or swimming.   The wheelchairs, crutches, feeding tubes and other supports are there too, enabling kids who need them to be just one of the campers, participating fully in the camping experience and it is where all campers learn what is possible. 

 With the kind of support that Keshet provides our participants there will come a day people of all abilities will be able to learn, play, work and live together.  That will, indeed be a bright day.  But until that day, there is Keshet., and this is just one of the many programs and many reasons I support Keshet and ask you to join me in supporting Keshet.  With your support Keshet will continue to do whatever it takes to   create a community of belonging throughout the Jewish community. With your support Keshet can provide more opportunities, to more individuals, families and our communities to ensure that all people with disabilities know they are welcome and belong.