Jewish Advocates for Deaf Education

The Macks Center for Jewish Education administers Jewish Advocates for Deaf Education, known as JADE, to support local Jewish schools that have people with hearling loss among their parent body. Through JADE, schools can book an interpreter for parents who are deaf or hard of hearing at school-related events such as orientations, parent-teacher conferences, school plays and other milestones. JADE can also provide a free in-service for teachers and school support staff to educate and sensitize them about the best ways to communicate with a deaf individual. 

JADE also strives to raise the level of awareness about the deaf community through deaf awareness workshops for children and adults, including sign language.

Through JADE, congregations learn important and practical methods to include deaf people in religious communal life, making their programs more accessible to the deaf community.

JADE was instrumental in spearheading the planning and implementation of the first known shabbatonim for the Jewish Deafblind community in the U.S.

Deaf-Blind Shabbaton 2013

Shabbaton 2010 Photos
Shabbaton 2011 Photos

Each summer JADE runs Jewish education workshops at Deafblind Camp of Maryland. View photos from Camp.

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