Agudas Achim Congregation in Alexandria, Virginia recently retained Matan to conduct an Inclusion Community Assessment, Planning & Strategy (Inclusion-CAPS) specifically focusing on their congregational school. Education Director Chaya Silver and Lay Leader Debbie Perry reflect upon the experience.

Tell us a little about Agudas Achim Congregation.

Agudas Achim Congregation is an egalitarian Conservative congregation in Alexandria, VA. We place a high value on being an engaged community that is warm, welcoming, and inclusive.

What was Agudas Achim’s journey to decide to retain Matan to conduct an Inclusion-CAPS?

Eleven years ago, the congregational school program consciously decided to provide services to a few students whose parents identified them as having special learning and behavioral needs. We were able to provide some accommodations. For the most part, we were able to address classroom management concerns, but we were not establishing inclusive classrooms. As the years went by, we put more and more emphasis on providing staff training on inclusive classroom strategies. Eventually, we found we had several dedicated parents who were wonderful advocates for their own kids. When they realized that the school was committed to providing accommodations and support for students with differing needs, they put their efforts into building lay committees that made disability inclusion a central part of their mission. Over time, we became acutely aware of the fact that the inclusion strategies helped all students.  As the school gained a reputation for being willing to work with families, the number of children enrolling with learning challenges and differences increased. As the overall student population increased and with it the number of students who needed different accommodations increased, the school began working with the Disability Inclusion Committee to increase and improve training and school wide systems to support these students.

Describe your experience working with Matan on the  Inclusion-CAPS.

Meredith and the Matan team did an amazing job working with our community. They were reliable, respectful, and listened to everyone without judgement or criticism. The final report has given the community a common starting point for making system wide improvements.

What aspects of the Inclusion-CAPS process were the most beneficial as well as most challenging?

The only challenging part of the process was getting the ball rolling – scheduling all the interviews and visits. Once all this was done, the rest flowed smoothly. I don’t think we have even started reaping the benefits of this process! As the internal team works through the report, we continue to find advice and support for changes large and small.

What were the greatest takeaways from the experience and disability inclusion in general?

Some of our greatest takeaways from this process included providing an outside expert to validate the need for support when speaking to the synagogue board, credibility with parents, and a structure on how to take our inclusion program to the “next level” of success.

What advice would you give other synagogues and organizations considering an Inclusion-CAPS?

DO IT!