{"id":274475,"date":"2010-02-03T17:06:14","date_gmt":"2010-02-03T22:06:14","guid":{"rendered":"tag:blogs.rj.org,2010:\/rac\/\/2.2416"},"modified":"2010-02-03T17:08:13","modified_gmt":"2010-02-03T22:08:13","slug":"my-name-is-sharon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/274475","title":{"rendered":"My Name is Sharon"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sharon Palay is a member and Lay Leader of Bet Shalom Congregation, Minnetonka, MN. February is Jewish Disability Awareness Month. We will be featuring blog posts about disability inclusion in Jewish communities. Also visit RJ.org<\/a> for posts on this topic.<\/font><\/i>
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\"Sharon---cover-NEW-copy.jpg\"<\/font><\/span>My name is Sharon. I have Cerebral Palsy. I grew up in
\na small town in North Dakota. My mom would take me to synagogue. I remember
\nsnuggling up close to her side, sitting amongst the stained glass windows,
\nlistening as she sang the prayers and I would sing along, too. Never thinking
\nwhere I would be today on my spiritual journey.  
 
I joined Bet Shalom
\nCongregation nine years ago and love it every minute. I even had my Bat Mitzvah
\nwhich was a big milestone in my life. Here it’s going on the 5th
\nanniversary. When I think about it and how much work went in it, it just blows
\nmy mind!  But I did it and I’m so very proud!  <\/p>\n

This is my 2nd year of being the Chairwoman of the Inclusion Committee of Bet
\nShalom. It’s a lot of hard work but I enjoy it. Bet Shalom moved into their new
\nhome nine years ago so there’s a lot of inclusion work to do, more than I
\nknew. Right now we are in the process of putting the right signs around the
\nbuilding such as where the elevator is located, how to access assistive hearing
\ndevices and large print prayer books, etc.<\/p>\n

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What does Inclusion mean to me? It means to be accepted by your own faith
\ncommunity.  People who see you for yourself and look beyond your
\ndisability. People who look at your soul and say to themselves, “Now that’s a
\nperson who I would like to get to know”. It’s true I will always be in a
\nwheelchair and that my speech will always be hard to understand. If they would
\nonly let themselves look at me without having any fear of what they see in front
\nof them. We all would get along just fine.  <\/p>\n

Editor’s note: Find dozens of programs, pamphlets, and other resources
\non disability inclusion:<\/em> <\/p>\n