By Avi West, Director of the Shulamith Reich Elster Resource Center at the Partnership for Jewish Life and Learning in Rockville, MD

There has been talk in recent days centering on the Jewish value, Klal Yisrael.  It has been translated in many ways, but it is generally about preserving the unity and completeness of the Jewish People as a whole.  Jewish history is filled with episodes of exclusion where Jewish communities have at times created barriers meant to exclude our own - Jews with differences - differences of opinion (the Hanukkah story), differences in practice, differences in background, and differences in perceived abilities (Talmudic categories of "women, mentally limited, and minors" applied broadly beyond the requirements of Jewish law). 
How can we remind ourselves to change our own behavior, working to repair the damage to our people's wholeness and wholesomeness?  What steps can we in Greater Washington take to build a more unified community?  One remembering tool is establishing a holiday, or appointed time for the theme/value to be remembered.  Another is to create a meditation/blessing that imbues a behavior with more meaning.  And the third reminder or sign such as the mezuzah on the door. All three tools can be used to transform February into an opportunity for all of us to turn Klal Yisrael into “Inclusive Israel.”

In a brilliant step towards building a fulfilled, whole, Klal Yisrael, February has been designated as a time for Jewish Disability Awareness Month.   As with other holidays or “appointed times,” Jewish Disability Awareness Month is dedicated to a specific value: themes of inclusion and dignity, and honoring the abilities of every human being as having been created in God’s image. It is a time to ask ourselves, “Who is not here?” The hope is that after a month highlighting this theme, each one of us will carry the theme forward throughout the year.  Between February 1-9, we will be able to meditate on exemplary artistic expressions of the lives, stories, and art of people with disabilities.  REEL!ABILITIES, a film festival at the three JCC’s and at other venues, will present award winning films accompanied by discussions or presentations.  The lasting impressions of these people will be a blessing and a wake-up call for everyone to celebrate the diversity of our shared human experience.  For more information see www.greaterdc.reelabilities.org.  And as for a sign upon our doorposts (mezuzah) to advocate for inclusion and dignity for all, YOU be the mezuzah at the gates to your home, place of business, and community organizations.  Welcome people with abilities, including those who were told “You can’t…” and tell them “You can!”  Foster an environment that encourages and nurtures people to learn new skills. Set a goal to reach out to those who have felt excluded, and create opportunities for those for whom access has been limited.  The mending of the global community of Klal Yisrael is a formidable task.  But creating a local community that reflects the ideal of “Inclusive Israel” is well within our reach.