Speakers and Educators
Looking for a disability justice, accessibility, or inclusion expert to work with your congregation or havurah? These Jewish speakers, educators, advocates, and clergy offer a wide array of engagement types and resources. Read on to find the right fit for your community’s needs.
Gabrielle Kaplan-Mayer
Gabrielle Kaplan-Mayer is a writer, educator and spiritual director who currently serves as Ritualwell's Director of Virtual Content and Programming. Her work focuses on creativity, spirituality and disability. Her Eli Talk Standing With Families Who Have A Child With A Disability has been used to educate communities across the world. Her most recent book The Little Gate Crasher tells the story of her great-uncle, born in 1915 with a form of dwarfism, and the amazing volumes of chutzpah and love that framed his life experiences.
She has shared talks, interactive study and creative sessions for conferences, book groups and Shabbatonim. Learn more about her at www.gabriellekaplanmayer.com.
Joanie Calem | Kodem Kol Kavod
Our modern world is full of people with neurological variety. Our Jewish heritage is full of songs and stories about how our ancestors found ways to be inclusive of people, even when they could not conform to whatever were society’s norms of the day. As a parent of a young adult with autism and a teacher trainer, Joanie Calem blends those two realities, and presents professional development workshops on neuro-diversity and invisible disabilities, leads “concert-conversations” for communities looking to explore active inclusion and belonging for their community members, and/or family song and story concerts about the complexity of creating inclusive communities that can work for all of our members. The sessions provide both a philosophical perspective and a review of best practices for creating and maintaining inclusive environments. Joanie can be reached at joaniecalem@gmail.com, or at www.joaniecalem.com.
