Helping those with needs climb life’s ladder

Giving a leg up to school-aged Jewish children with special needs is the mission of SULAM-LI (sulam is the Hebrew word for ladder) and like a ladder this Five Towns-based organization seeks to help those youngsters reach new heights.

To assist in that mission the organization is holding its sixth annual benefit on Feb. 6, at Congregation Sons of Israel in Woodmere that will feature Alicia Svigals and her Klezmer Fiddle Express and Steven Weintraub.

Dena Stein, the president of the program’s advisory board, is organizing the concert along with Rabbi Paula Jayne Winnig of Lawrence. Stein said in the past, the benefit concert raised approximately $20,000.

“Every year we try and change it up with a different type of concert,” Stein said. “The money that we get from tuition and the participating synagogues doesn’t cover the costs to run this program so the money raised by this event will bridge the gap.”

SULAM-LI was founded in 2004 to provide religious education for Jewish children with special needs since most religious education programs do not have the ability to adequately deal with special needs children, according to Director of Education, Libby Adler.

With the collaboration of Congregation Sons of Israel, Hewlett-East Rockaway Jewish Centre, Reconstructionist Congregation Beth Emeth, Temple Am Echad, Temple Beth-El, Temple Hillel and Temple Israel, SULAM-LI meets every Sunday morning in a different location.

“Since students with special needs are often involved in other things after school such as therapy or tutoring, the fact of being in school the whole day is so difficult so they don’t have the strength or focus to deal with an additional two hours of religious school after school,” Adler said. “We only meet once a week, which is important to a lot of students.”

Adler said there is a huge range of students who have fairly extreme physical disabilities, are in wheelchairs, have mobility issues, autism, learning or behavioral issues so they wouldn’t be able to succeed in a regular program. She added that classes are small so the amount of help and ratio of helpers to students is usually one to one and they often have more helpers than students. The SULAM-LI staff is made up of trained special educators that modify their curriculum according to the students.

The concert will also feature the Brandeis School Choir and the children of SULAM-LI under the direction of Janet Goldman. Goldman became the music teacher for SULAM-LI in 2010 after participating in the benefit concert for two years with Brandeis students. “Originally I was a guest artist and now I’m actually working with SULAM-LI children,” she said. “This is my first experience being a music teacher for special needs children and it’s a fabulous fit.”

Goldman said the Brandeis and SULAM-LI students will meet the day of the concert and perform together. She said many of the Brandeis students participated in last year’s concert so they may know some of the SULAM-LI students.

“My Brandeis students know they’re helping to raise money for a worth cause,” Goldman said. “And being a part of something with SULAM-LI students is an exciting opportunity so it’s a win-win for everyone.

Tickets are $25 for adults and $15 for children. For more information or to purchase tickets, contact Stein at (516) 449-6678.