Jewish Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Resource Center

06/19/2026

Shabbat Shalom and Happy Juneteenth

Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, when enslaved people in Texas finally learned they had been freed - more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation had been issued. Their freedom had already been declared, but access to that information had not reached them.

Historically, Deaf people have often experienced a similar reality: being among the last to receive important information because communication was not accessible. From public announcements and emergency alerts to educational opportunities, religious services, and community events, information has too often been shared in ways that have unintentionally excluded Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals.

While the circumstances are profoundly different, both histories remind us of an important truth: information is power, and access matters. A message cannot create opportunity, connection, or belonging if people cannot receive it.

At JDRC, we work to ensure that Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals are not left waiting for access to Jewish life. Through advocacy, education, interpreter and captioning training, and partnerships with Jewish organizations, we help create communities where everyone can participate fully and receive information at the same time as everyone else. For guidance on communication access and resources, or to discuss your organization's accessibility needs, visit JDRC at www.jdrc.org.

As we recognize Juneteenth and welcome Shabbat, may we recommit ourselves to building communities where access is not an afterthought, but a fundamental expression of dignity, equity, and belonging.

Shabbat Shalom.

For more information on Juneteenth and the history of the holiday: https://nmaahc.si.edu/explore/stories/historical-legacy-juneteenth

Who Are We? At JDRC, we partner with Jewish Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals and Jewish organizations to turn access into meaningful belonging. Check us out at www.jdrc.org.

06/18/2026

This event will be live ASL interpreted. Share away!

Jewish Deaf Congress

Get ready for a night of bold, b***y Jewish drag! Journey through the history of Jewish drag icons over the last century with Golan Moskowitz, enjoy a live Jewish drag show with master performers Abbi G'zunt, Alvah Klempt, Matzah Belle Soup, and Miryem-Khaye Seigel, and cap off the evening with a celebratory Pride dance party.

This program is cosponsored by 14th Street Y, Keshet, Lab/Shul and Reboot and funded by the Department of Cultural Affairs. Live ASL interpretation will be provided.

Register here: https://operations.daxko.com/online/5428/ProgramsV2/Events.mvc/offering?guid=e977c93f-168e-11f1-99e7-00505692a808

06/12/2026

Shabbat Shalom from the Jewish Deaf Resource Center!

This week, we celebrate an important milestone for the Deaf community in Israel, recently published in The Jerusalem Post (linked below). The Knesset has passed legislation formally recognizing Israeli Sign Language as the natural language of Deaf people in Israel and affirming its role in Deaf culture, identity, and community.

At JDRC, we know that language is more than a means of communication- it's a gateway to belonging, participation, learning, and Jewish life. Recognition of sign language is an important part of inclusion.

For nearly 30 years, the JDRC has worked toward a vision of a Jewish community where Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals can fully access and participate in every aspect of Jewish life. This historic step in Israel reminds us why accessibility and inclusion matter- not just as accommodations, but as fundamental expressions of Jewish values.

As we welcome Shabbat, we celebrate this progress and renew our commitment to building Jewish communities where everyone belongs.

Shabbat Shalom!

Read the article here: https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/politics-and-diplomacy/article-898785

Who Are We? JDRC is a bridge between Jewish Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals and the broader Jewish community - where access leads to belonging. Check us out at www.jdrc.org.

06/05/2026

Shabbat Shalom and Happy Pride Month! 🌈

Pride Month is a celebration of identity, community, and belonging, and as we welcome Shabbat, we reflect on the importance of creating communities where everyone feels seen, valued, and included.

At the Jewish Deaf Resource Center (JDRC), we believe that every person deserves to feel welcomed, valued, and included in Jewish life. This Pride Month, we recognize and celebrate the many individuals who are part of both the LGBTQ+ and Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and DeafBlind communities.

Building truly inclusive Jewish spaces means embracing the full diversity of our community and ensuring that everyone has access to participate, connect, learn, and lead.

May this Shabbat bring peace, connection, and a renewed commitment to building Jewish spaces where every person can bring their authentic self and feel belonging.

Who Are We? At JDRC, we partner with Jewish Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals and Jewish organizations to turn access into meaningful belonging. Check us out at www.jdrc.org.

05/29/2026

This Shabbat, we’re inspired by the story of a new Jewish Deaf group in Baltimore, Maryland creating meaningful space for connection, community, and belonging. One moment highlighted in an article featured in the Baltimore Jewish Times (linked here: https://www.jewishtimes.com/new-baltimore-jewish-deaf-group-creates-space-for-connection/) describes participants gathering for accessible Shabbat dinners where conversations flow freely in American Sign Language - something many Deaf and Hard of Hearing Jewish individuals have long gone without.

Stories like these remind us how powerful truly inclusive Jewish spaces can be. They also invite an important question: Can your congregation create a space like this one - where Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals can fully participate, connect, and belong?

When communities partner with Deaf leadership and listen to the lived experiences of Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals, spaces of genuine belonging become possible.

As communities continue building opportunities for Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals to fully engage in Jewish life, we celebrate the people making it happen.

Shabbat Shalom from the JDRC!

Who Are We? JDRC is a bridge between Jewish Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals and the broader Jewish community - where access leads to belonging. Check us out at www.jdrc.org.

05/22/2026

Shabbat Shalom & Chag Sameach from the JDRC! ✨🌾

This Shabbat, we are also celebrating Shavuot, a holiday centered on community, learning, and standing together.

As we reflect on the giving of the Torah at Sinai, we are reminded that Jewish spaces are strongest when everyone can fully participate and feel a true sense of belonging. Accessibility and inclusion help create communities where Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals can engage in Jewish life, learning, and connection.

May this Shabbat and Shavuot bring peace, joy, meaningful learning, and connection to all. 💙📖

05/21/2026

As we prepare to celebrate the holiday of Shavuot, we reflect on the moment the Jewish community stood together at Sinai to receive the Torah — a powerful reminder that everyone belongs.

At the JDRC, we believe Jewish learning, community, and spiritual connection should be accessible to all. Just as the Torah was given to the entire community, we continue working toward a future where Jewish Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals can fully participate in Jewish life.

This Shavuot, may we all continue building communities rooted in inclusion, access, belonging, and shared learning. 🌾📖

Chag Sameach from the JDRC! 💙

05/15/2026

Shabbat Shalom from the JDRC! ✨

May is Better Hearing and Speech Month, a time to recognize the importance of communication access and inclusion in every community — including Jewish spaces.

As we prepare for Shabbat, we celebrate congregations that are working to make services, programs, and community life more accessible through ASL interpretation, captioning, hearing assistive technology, communication access policies, and inclusion statements on their websites.

Looking for accessible Jewish spaces? Explore the JDRC’s Directory of Accessible Synagogues on our website to find congregations that offer accommodations and accessibility information: https://jdrc.org/resources/directories/synagogues/

We also welcome additional congregations to be included in the directory! If your synagogue has accessibility information, communication access resources, or a webpage explaining how to request accommodations, we’d love to hear from you: https://jdrc.org/contact-us/ask-us-a-question/

Together, we can help ensure that every person can fully participate in Jewish life.

Shabbat Shalom! 💙

Who Are We? JDRC advances communication access so Jewish Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals can fully participate in Jewish life. Check us out at www.jdrc.org.

05/12/2026

May is Jewish American Heritage Month! 🇺🇸✡️

This month, we celebrate the stories, history, and contributions of Jewish Americans across generations. Visiting museums and cultural institutions can be a meaningful way to explore that history — and accessibility helps ensure everyone can participate.

The JDRC’s Directory of Museums includes museums and institutions that provide information about their accessibility and accommodations for Deaf and Hard of Hearing visitors on their websites, including ASL interpretation, captioning, assistive listening, and more.

If you’re looking for accessible museums to visit, explore the directory on our website: https://jdrc.org/resources/directories/museums/

We also welcome additional listings. If your museum or institution has a webpage explaining how visitors can request accommodations or a calendar of events including those that are accessible, we’d love to hear from you and potentially include your organization in the directory: https://jdrc.org/contact-us/ask-us-a-question/

Who Are We? JDRC supports Jewish Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals and partners with Jewish organizations to build access and belonging. Check us out at www.jdrc.org

05/08/2026

Shabbat Shalom from the JDRC

As we welcome Shabbat and the start of Jewish American Heritage Month, we honor the rich tapestry of Jewish life in America and the many individuals that shape it.

This includes the vital contributions of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Jewish Americans, who have helped build, teach, lead, interpret, advocate, and strengthen our communities in countless ways. There are numerous Deaf and Hard of Hearing Jewish individuals who have contributed to America in advocacy, arts, culture, law, medicine, education and so much more. We thank each one of them for fostering progress, as we aim for a more inclusive world. We are grateful for their contributions in fostering progress as we continue to partner toward a more inclusive world.

Jewish American Heritage Month is not only a time to celebrate history; it’s a call to recognize whose stories have too often gone unacknowledged, and to ensure they are centered moving forward.

On Shabbat, we pause to reflect on the fullness of our community. When access is prioritized, we can more inclusively honor the contributions of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Jewish individuals not just in the past, but in the present and future of Jewish life.

May this Shabbat bring rest, reflection, and a renewed commitment to building a community where every person’s contributions are valued and recognized.

Shabbat Shalom

Who Are We? JDRC advances communication access so Jewish Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals can fully participate in Jewish life. Check us out at www.jdrc.org.