200+ Gather in Closter, NJ for Matan Gala

Closter, NJ (June 4, 2024) – On Wednesday, over 200 attendees convened at Temple Emanu-el in Closter, NJ, for Matan’s Spring Event, culminating in a profoundly moving display of disability inclusion.

Matan is a New-York-based, national nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting disability inclusion and belonging in Jewish communities.

Matan’s prestigious Trailblazer Award was presented at the event to David Shore, the ABC drama The Good Doctor’s Emmy Award-winning creator. The award expresses the organization’s heartfelt gratitude for the show’s profound impact on viewers by raising awareness about disability inclusion and fostering a sense of belonging in our society.

“We are honored to recognize the show's remarkable impact on raising awareness of disability inclusion and belonging,” said Dori Frumin Kirshner, Matan’s Executive Director.

For seven seasons until its finale last week, the show has captivated audiences worldwide with its compelling storytelling and groundbreaking portrayal of Dr. Shaun Murphy, a young surgeon with autism and savant syndrome. The show has both entertained viewers and sparked crucial conversations about the abilities, challenges and aspirations of individuals with disabilities.

Shore, the program’s executive producer and co-show runner, has been writing and producing television for more than 20 years. He created and was the show runner on the groundbreaking medical drama House, which ran on Fox for eight seasons. House earned Shore an Emmy in the category “Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series” and several Emmy nominations for producing.

“I am very proud of (this award) and accept with a great deal of pride and humility because the people that work for Matan and all of you here today make the world a better place, and you are honoring someone who goes every day to work and pretends to make the world a better place,” said Shore in his speech. “I often say if you’re not entertaining your audience, you’re not doing your job and if you’re only entertaining your audience, you’re wasting your job.”

Also in attendance was actor Robert Sean Leonard, best known as Dr. James Wilson in the television series House, and Neil Perry in the 1989 film Dead Poets Society, also attended the event.

Also at the event, Matan presented its Leadership Award to Rabbi Shai Held, the President and Dean of the Hadar Institute in New York City and one of the most influential American Jewish thinkers and leaders.

In his speech, Rabbi Held talked about his own chronic fatigue syndrome-related health struggles: “In my own small ways, I have tried to bring people’s attention to those who are invisible, or, in the case of the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome that has plagued me for just about 25 years now, to help people see that even those who “look and seem fine” are often carrying unbearably painful burdens…More fundamentally, I wanted to challenge us all to look and see those we tend not to,” he said.

Matan’s Impact Award was presented to Aaron Kaufman, the Jewish Federations of North America’s Senior Manager of Legislative Affairs, who focuses on disability and poverty issues and who is a member of the Maryland House of Delegates.

The event’s chairs were Dr. Brenda Berry and Jonathan Lopatin, and Daniella and Jeffrey Wechselblatt.