“I like davening the best,” says Mordechai Cohen, a familiar figure at Seven Mile Market’s bagging stations.
I was in a TAG classroom at Gesher LaTorah one Sunday morning about a month ago, watching Mrs. Shoshana Pepper conduct a lively class with the help of two sign language interpreters and a one-on-one aide. The nine students introduced themselves to me, and we chatted about their favorite part of the program. Mordechai’s classmate, May Steinberg, a Levindale Household volunteer, said that she enjoys “learning different things and getting things out of it.” And Rivka Abrams’ favorite activity is drawing.
TAG (which stands for Torah, avoda, and gemilus chasadim), is Gesher LaTorah’s program for Jewish adults with special needs. “The TAG program was created for those who wanted to continue to learn as adults, for whom a school-type environment geared to younger students was not age-appropriate,” says Mrs. Rachel Turniansky, principal of Gesher LaTorah and coordinator of Special Needs Programs at the Louise D. and Morton J. Macks Center for Jewish Education (CJE). “TAG reflects a more mature style of learning. Some of our students are graduates of Gesher LaTorah’s children’s program. Others have moved to Baltimore since TAG’s inception 17 years ago.”
It was a pleasure to meet Mrs. Turniansky, who has been principal of Gesher LaTorah, the oldest religious special needs program of its kind in the U.S., for the past 15 years. Gesher LaTorah started as an all-boy/young adult male program for learning-disabled students who were not able to participate in a typical congregational school. “At its inception, a half-century ago, Gesher LaTorah dealt with students who had learning disabilities, including those that interfered with learning to read Hebrew, although it has also always included students with more significant learning needs,” explains Mrs. Turniansky.
“Nowadays, mild to moderate learning disabilities can be accommodated in congregational and day schools, because of greater understanding, awareness, and training of the teachers. So, over the years, Gesher LaTorah has transitioned to its present form, providing Jewish content to students whose educational needs cannot be met in a typical school.”
A total of 30 Gesher LaTorah students range in age from six through adult. Students over 17 years old participate in TAG, from 9 to 12 noon on Sundays. It is their once-a-week opportunity to advance their knowledge of Yiddishkeit, although some of them also learn during the week with private tutors or with their family.
“Sometimes they work on the concepts they learn about here at Gesher LaTorah,” says Mrs. Turniansky, “but for the most part, especially the adult students who are in the workforce or day programs during the week, they block out a period of time to dedicate to learning, just as many Jewish adults who have jobs do. Jewish learning is an important value that the CJE tries to encourage, and this is just one other example of a way that everyone can be a part of the Jewish learning community.”
The entire Gesher LaTorah program, including TAG, tries to maintain a 3:1 teacher-student ratio, based on its students’ needs, notes Mrs. Turniansky. “Two students use sign language interpreters, and there is more staff for those students who have additional needs, so that everyone gets individualized attention.” Although tuition is charged, financial aid from the Associated means that no one is turned away because of finances.
Gesher LaTorah teachers develop lessons based on a holiday or from the weekly parsha to focus on various Jewish values and customs. “A lot of what they learn is through the sharing of their own experiences, what they are doing at home, or their family’s involvement with any kind of Jewish event,” Mrs. Turniansky explains. “It is the same type of learning that any Jewish adult would be doing, based on topical events and the sharing of ideas.”
Much of the time, the students, both children and adults, are learning skills that they can take back into the community, to be more included, whether it is at their own family Shabbos table or other groups, says Mrs. Turniansky. “They learn leadership and self-advocacy skills, so they can become more of a voice in the community. Special needs professionals try to advocate for organizations and synagogues to be more open and accommodating to people with special needs, but it is their voice that really needs to carry this message.”
Historically, CJE, the Center for Jewish Education, of which Gesher LaTorah is a part, has supported congregational and supplemental schools in various ways over many years. It continues to trail blaze with new programs and opportunities. “We are proud of our continuing role in ensuring that all children and adults can access a Jewish education,” says Amian Kelemer, COO. “Last week, I bumped into two Gesher LaTorah graduates. It was an amazing moment for me to see each of these students, who are now all grown up, working in supported employment and participating in social activities.”
Libby Steinberg, May’s mother, says, “We came from Philadelphia, 14 years ago. Although they had some services, it was nothing like Baltimore. Gesher LaTorah was really a dream for May, because she had been in public school and had private tutoring. Mrs. Lapidus, mother of Rabbi Chaim Dovid Lapidus from Yeshivas Ner Yisrael, was her tutor, for years. Every year, for the past 14 years, the Gesher group has gotten stronger in terms of content and programming. I am so happy with it. It is so meaningful. She loves it. It’s terrific.”
Chaya Cohen, Mordechai’s mother, couldn’t agree more. “Mordechai has been going to Gesher LaTorah for 13 years, and has been in the TAG program for about seven years,” noted Mrs. Cohen. “I must say that he has loved every minute of it! TAG teaches Torah and Torah values on a level the students can understand, but also gives them the dignity of being treated as young adults.”
Gesher LaTorah will be honoring the TAG students on Tuesday, June 2, at a banquet co-chaired by Mrs. Chaya Cohen and Mrs. Libby Steinberg. An estimated 150 by-invitation-only guests, comprised of the students’ family members, guests, and CJE members, will attend, gratis. Unlike most banquets, it is not designed as a fundraiser but solely as a celebration of the TAG students’ impressive accomplishments in their Jewish learning. As Mrs. Turniansky concludes, “We want to recognize that the learning they do is very valuable to the Jewish community; we all benefit from more Jewish knowledge.”
ã Margie Pensak-2015
