Student Organizes Family Game and Fun Day to Support Special Needs at Ohev Shalom on May 3

Richboro, PA – Thirteen-year-old Jackson Reiter has plans to make a big difference for a local organization that will provide an opportunity for the community to engage in some fun while doing so.

For his Bar Mitzvah project, Jackson has organized an event to benefit the Inclusion B’Kavod Committee at Ohev Shalom. From 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, May 3, members of the community are invited to participate in Family Game and Fun Day. The event is being held at Ohev Shalom of Bucks County, 944 Second Street Pike, Richboro.

“I chose to do this project because I want to make sure the committee stays strong so it can continue to support its purpose which is kindness, acceptance, visibility, opportunity and dignity for all,” said Jackson.

The Inclusion B’Kavod Committee celebrates the uniqueness of each individual and welcomes diversity within the community. Formed in 2011, the Inclusion Committee pursues its mission by identifying and supporting special needs in the community; educating lay leaders, staff and congregants; and facilitating necessary changes by working within Ohev Shalom and collaborating with the community at large.

According to Committee Chair Lindsay Miller, the Committee’s role has included supporting the placement of a special needs coordinator in religious school classes and the preschool, developing a monthly Shabbat program for children with special learning needs and their families, ensuring that accommodations enable people with physical limitations to participate in services, activities, and events, and providing resources for people with hearing and visual impairments. “We are committed to making sure Ohev Shalom is able to accommodate whomever in any possible way, whether their needs are temporary or permanent,” Miller explained.

Jackson has received help from the committee in the form of one-on-one tutoring in the past and said he wants to make sure it is around to help others who need it. “It’s a good program and I want to keep it going,” he said.

When he thought about how he could help raise money for the program, the idea of a family fun day popped into his head. All games and crafts are family-friendly, appeal to a variety of age groups and will be done the old-fashioned way, said Jackson. “It’s totally unplugged. There will be no computers or anything electronic.” In keeping with the Committee’s mission, games for sensory-sensitive children will be available.

The Ohev Shalom Men’s Club has donated pizza and there will also be an ice cream dessert for the event. Tickets are $10 per person or $18 per family (up to five people) and will be available in advance and at the door the day of the event. For more information and pre-registration (preferred), visit www.ohev.org.

ABOUT OHEV SHALOM OF BUCKS COUNTY
Ohev Shalom has been serving the Jewish community of Bucks County since its founding in 1976. Affiliated with the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, it is a vibrant and dynamic congregation that is committed to serving the spiritual, cultural, educational and social needs of its congregational family. Ohev Shalom celebrates the uniqueness of each individual and welcomes diversity within its sacred community. For information about Ohev Shalom, go to www.ohev.org.