This is the first in a regular series of articles about Jewish Sign Language and Interpreting Issues. I hope you will send any questions or concerns you would like tom see discussed, to the Editor. Then this can become a true forum for all.
The first question that comes to mind is “in what Jewish settings are interpreters frequently requested?”
We can break down the settings into a variety of categories, including religious, life cycle, educational, and cultural.
Religious interpreting might include any type of a synagogue service. This could be a Friday night or Saturday morning Shabbat service or any type of Holiday Service conducted in the synagogue.
A life cycle event could include a Bar/Bat Mitzvah, wedding, funeral, brit (circumcision) or baby naming. In addition, this might include a conversion ceremony.
Deaf Jews are involved in many levels of Jewish education. Some children attend religious school (Sunday or weekdays) or a Jewish Day School (where half of the day is conducted in Hebrew!!! There are deaf people enrolled in Introduction to Judaism classes, Talmud study, and even Rabbinical school. Teens might be preparing for Bar/Bat mitzvah with a tutor who doesn’t sign. Numerous Jewish camps are opening their programs to deaf campers.
The larger Jewish community offers a wealth of cultural opportunities. More and more deaf Jews are requesting interpreters so they can participate. This might include meetings at Jewish Federation, programs at a local synagogue, Holocaust Memorial ceremonies, Jewish plays, musical concerts, etc.
One is struck by the variety of situations listed above and the breadth of knowledge an interpreter must bring to each. It is also exciting to imagine deaf people advocating for access to so many avenues of Jewish involvement. In most cases, an interpreter will only be provided if there is a specific request from a deaf participant.
A few communities are recognizing the enormous costs involved in providing interpreters, often for only a few or one deaf person. Several communities have established special Jewish Interpreting Funds. A deaf person or a Jewish organization may apply to the fund, to pay for part of the interpreting cost. Often there is a three-way split in payment, between the deaf person requesting the interpreter, the organization sponsoring the event, and the interpreter fund. This relieves the burden from any one source.
