Arlene Remz, Gateways Executive Director
Sweet Sounds Welcome Remarks

Please close your eyes for a moment, and imagine that the year is 1998.

Imagine that you are the parents of a child with special learning needs, parents who want more than anything for their child to participate fully in Jewish life and learning.

What would your plans, hopes, dreams be for your child?  Will your child learn about his or her Jewish heritage? Will your child be prepared for Bar or Bat Mitzvah?  How will your child participate in and learn with a community of Jewish peers?

A dozen years ago, there were multiple pathways to a Jewish education for most children, or, more specifically, for children without special learning needs:

• If you wanted a Jewish preschool---plenty of congregational and community options. 
• For elementary and middle school—you could choose between 13 day schools or numerous congregational and community supplementary Jewish education programs.
• And for high school---there was Prozdor, day schools, and synagogue programs.

The options and opportunities for a child were plentiful, and the pathways to participate in those programs were well traveled and clearly marked. 

But what about a child with special needs, a child with learning disabilities, with autism, with cognitive impairment, with a visual or hearing impairment, a physical disability.  How did those children access Jewish education?

Back in 1998, the landscape of Jewish education for children with special needs in Boston was pretty barren.  True, there were supports and programs in some synagogues, in some day schools, in some preschools.  But there were no clearly marked trails or pathways to access these very limited number of programs, supports and opportunities, and they didn’t meet the needs of or accept all students. 

Imagine the pain of parents a decade ago for whom the path to a Jewish education was non-existent, or blocked, or their child was "counseled out" of the program. And those parents who did try and navigate those paths found it to be a very lonely experience.

Imagine how you would feel if you were in those parents’ shoes---and I know many of you here today were in those very shoes.

That’s the situation that Jennifer and Erik Bittner found themselves in, as parents of two sons with disabilities for whom there was no clear path to an appropriate Jewish educational program, one which would accept them, embrace them, and meet their unique learning needs.

What did Erik and Jennifer do---they forged the trail, they created a new path.  They –with support of so many of you here today---built Etgar L’Noar from the ground up.

Jennifer and Erik opened the Gates to Jewish Education not only for their own sons, but also for so many children with special needs in our community who previously had no chance for a Jewish education.

And around the same time, in the late 1990’s there were other children with special learning needs who were struggling in day schools, for whom the doors to day schools were closed, or for some who were quite frankly "counseled out" the door because of their learning challenges.

Sue Schweber was the trailblazer who guided our families, our day schools, and indeed our entire community so our children would not only be able to attend our day schools, but could truly succeed and thrive there.

With a group of dedicated parents behind her, Sue built the innovative Jewish Special Education Collaborative (JSEC) model of student support services in the South Area day schools---and put together an incredible team of therapists and specialists to work with the students as well as   their teachers to open the Gates to a Jewish Education. 

And as you know, Jennifer and Erik’s path intersected with Sue’s path in 2006, when Etgar L’Noar and JSEC joined together to create the vibrant institution that is now Gateways to make sure no child or family is left outside our Jewish communal tent.
Jennifer, Erik and Sue, on behalf of all the children who now can walk proudly through those Gateways to a Jewish Education, we salute you.

I also want to personally salute ­ -- and thank -- each and every one of you, as well as those who were unable to attend today---our wonderful supporters of Gateways.  Your vision and generosity not only keep the gates open, but swing them open even wider, inviting more children in more educational settings than ever before into the world of Jewish learning and life.

Finally, I want to acknowledge the incredible Gateways staff---the therapists, teachers, program coordinators, office staff—the wonderful team that I am so privileged to work with.  Can all Gateways staff please raise your hand.

It is now my pleasure to introduce Jane Cohen, Elisa Deener-Agus, Lisa Wallach, and Debbie and Hershel Ellenbogen, who will share with you their reflections on their connection to Sue.