Gateways: Access to Jewish Education
Source: Gateways
Born in 2006 from a merger of Etgar L’Noar, a school for children with medium to acute special needs, and The Jewish Special Education Collaborative, Gateways offers a supplemental Hebrew School Program and Jewish Day School Program for those in the Boston area who are moderately or severely disabled. Its multidenominational participants benefit from an approach that is child-centered and one-on-one, strengthening their abilities and love of Hebrew, Jewish texts, tradition and prayer.
Gateways Day School Programs help students thrive in Jewish day schools by providing on-site services that go beyond what the schools offer. Students in participating schools receive assistance from speech and language pathologists, occupational therapists, behavioral and vision consultants, and reading and learning specialists. Gateways works with students, teachers and staff to help generalize developmental, academic, and social skills and strategies. Gateways assists teachers with curriculum modifications and provide teachers with professional development. Gateways is currently working in 9 Jewish day schools in the Greater Boston area.
Gateways Jewish Education Programs provide a Jewish educational experience to children, ages 2 to 16, who are not able to receive one in a regular classroom setting. Students include those with moderate to severe disabilities, such as autism spectrum disorder, hearing and visual impairments, developmental delay, cerebral palsy, and genetic disorders. Gateways offers a Sunday program, a weekday Bar/Bat Mitzvah class, a teen “Mitzvah Mensches” class, and a monthly Sunday Tots program for 2-4 year olds and their parents. The program supplements its professional staff with a cadre of teen volunteers who provide one-to-one support to each student. Classes are held in Newton, Massachusetts.