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Message: <br /><br /> If you are having trouble reading this email, you may view this article online at: http://www.jweekly.com/18313/full/18313/twins-called-to-torah-get-boost-from-special-school/ <br /><br /> <b>Twins called to Torah get boost from special school</b> <br /> Friday, August 16, 2002 | by <p>EDGAR ASHERIsranet </p> <br /><br /><p>There were smiles from family and friends, together with myriad young boys singing and dancing round the synagogue's central bimah .<br /><br /> The twins were called individually to the reading of the Torah, signifying their transition from childhood to manhood. It was much like a bar mitzvah anywhere in the world except that Yonatan and Yedidiya have cerebral palsy. In addition to profound speech and motor problems, the boys use wheelchairs.<br /><br /> The twins' b'nai mitzvah was arranged by Matan, an educational program for children with cerebral palsy. Matan is the Hebrew acronym for Mercaz Torani L'Noar, the Center for Torah Study for Youth. It was founded some five years ago by Jonny and Mindy Ebrahimoff, originally from London, who have both a son and a daughter with cerebral palsy. Today Matan is part of Ezer Mizion, Israel's leading nonprofit paramedical health support organization.<br /><br /> "Matan started around the time of my son's bar mitzvah, when he turned to my wife and myself and said, 'It's not fair. I have to go to this special school—what about my Torah education?'" Jonny Ebrahimoff relates.<br /><br /> "We made contact with Rabbi Hanoch Yerez, who is also a trained professional psychologist and he taught Benji his bar mitzvah. He then carried on giving Benji shiurim [study sessions]. Other children in Benji's school heard about it and asked if they could also come along, and we got to the stage where we had four children."<br /><br /> The rabbi suggested expanding the concept to serve other children who don't have the opportunity for Torah education. As the group expanded, the Ebrahimoffs developed an after-school program now housed in the Yeshurun School in Petach Tikvah.<br /><br /> Matan accepts any child, religious or not, as long as he is aware that the program is basically a religious one.<br /><br /> "We have 60 children who come from all parts of central Israel in the Petach Tikvah group, 35 boys and 25 girls," Ebrahimoff said. "They have their sessions on separate days. We run the organization on a religious level so that children who come from religious homes, such as in Bnai Brak, shouldn't say 'it is not for us.' We do not want to make a distinction, we want all the children from any home who can enjoy this program to come along."<br /><br /> When Matan started about five years ago, Ezer Mizion had just opened a branch in Petach Tikvah.<br /><br /> "They came running to help, not to swallow us up by any means," said Ebrahimoff. "We decided that instead of opening up our own separate amuta (registered charity), it might be wise to take advantage of Ezer Mizion so that they could help with their experience because they already knew how many of the channels worked. So we joined the Ezer Mizion organization, although we are an independent project.<br /><br /> "We give the children what they will not have at school, a Torah education, a beautiful way with music, and they build models. Each child is given his own personalized program according to his ability," Ebrahimoff added. "We have a teacher with groups of five to six children maximum and some of the groups also need a helper. They may also need a speech therapist if they don't speak sign language. We have somebody who is a communication expert and we have the invaluable assistance of Rav Yerez."<br /><br /> When it comes to a bar or bat mitzvah, each student has a ceremony. Part of the program is to help them prepare for the occasion, according to their ability, and Matan always throws a party, whether or not the family hosts its own party.<br /><br /> The school space used by Matan is given free by the municipality. Matan pays the teachers a salary.<br /><br /> "We have to have people who are committed and professional and it is important to pay them," Ebrahimoff said. "That doesn't mean to say that we don't have a lot of volunteers; we do, and they are always there to help the professionals. Another expense is the special buses needed to bring the children to the program. Some children need to be transported in special minivans with their wheelchairs. We are not a heavy budgeted program, but it still costs about $100,000 a year to run Matan."<br /><br /> More than half the annual funding for Matan comes from benefactors, while the balance is made up by Ezer Mizion.<br /><br /> Ezer Mizion has many programs running in all parts of the country for children with physical or medical problems, but this is the only program being organized for children with cerebral palsy.<br /><br /> Ezer Mizion, which runs the Oranit Day Center in Petach Tikvah for children with cancer, also established a bone marrow bank three years ago, the largest of its kind in the Jewish world. Today the bank lists in excess of 100,000 potential volunteer donors.</p> <p> </p>

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