JFCS disabilities task force honors 7 Jewish institutions

After years of decrying inaccessible entrances, narrow pews and too-small bathrooms, a local disabilities task force will give awards to five synagogues and two Jewish organizations for addressing the needs of the disabled.

Members of the S.F.-based Jewish Family and Children's Services disabilities task force will hand out their first awards in San Francisco and Marin at Shabbat services on the weekend of May 21.

"We want to recognize some agencies and encourage them to go further," said Abby Kovalsky, director of JFCS' Disabilities Project. "The community is better than it was, but there is still always room for improvement."

Recipients include the following:

*Congregation Sherith Israel, San Francisco, for improving the accessibility of its bathrooms in Newman Hall, adjacent to the sanctuary building.

*Congregation Sha'ar Zahav, San Francisco, whose new building is fully accessible to the disabled.

*Congregation Beth Sholom, San Francisco, which renovated its bathrooms to make them available to the disabled.

*Congregation Emanu-El, San Francisco, for being the most accessible synagogue for the longest time.

*Congregation Kol Shofar, Tiburon, for establishing a committee to examine disabilities issues within the congregation.

*Brandeis Hillel Day School, San Francisco and San Rafael campuses, for emphasizing disabilities awareness education in its curriculum.

*Israel Center of the S.F.-based Jewish Community Federation, for bringing in accessible portable toilets and recruiting interpreters for people with hearing impairments at its "Israel at 50" celebration last year.

The task force plans to send a proclamation to the Board of Rabbis of Northern California, calling for the rabbis' support in making all Jewish community events and agencies accessible to the disabled. The task force provides free technical assistance for planning an accessible event.

Although the Bay Area has historically been "the mecca" for people with disabilities, Kovalsky said, the task force was convened about five years ago because the Jewish community "was not keeping up with the secular community."

While minimum building codes were met, she said, "sometimes people need to go beyond the standard to be inclusive. Every function should be set up in a way that anyone with a disability will know they will be accommodated."

Kovalsky would prefer that there be no need for such a task force.

"Hopefully in the future this will become a non-issue," she said. "We don't want to have help from the perspective of pitying people or feeling sorry. The disabled should not have to worry if they can get in the front door to be accepted in the community."