By GREER FAY CASHMAN
12/18/2014 13:38
The Jerusalem Post
EVERY YEAR, the Israel branch of the Young Israel Movement organizes a bar mitzva and bat mitzva celebration for deaf youngsters from all over the country. This year 46 deaf children, who came from Beersheba in the South to Haifa in the North, wished each other mazal tov in sign language. Notwithstanding the tremendous progress made in providing for the special needs of the deaf, nearly all these children still have major hearing and educational issues, says Daniel Meyer, executive director of the International Young Israel Movement (IYIM) The festive event at the Young Israel of North Netanya (YINN) was organized by IYIM in close partnership with the Jewish Agency for Israel and the National Deaf Association.
The celebrants and their parents were addressed by Avital Laufer, deputy mayor of Netanya; Rabbi Natan Morowitz, rabbi emeritus of YINN; and Rabbi Hanoch Yeres, director of deaf programming at IYIM.
Source: www.jpost.com/Metro/Grapevine-Celebrating-in-sign-385064
