In 2018, Rachel Wood z”l became an integral part of the Matan team as a mentor for our Matan Institute training program. Our training provides deep inclusion training to director-level Jewish educators – but the “secret sauce” is our uniquely skilled mentors who support each participant individually to establish, and work towards, short-term and long-term inclusion goals. 

For Rachel, being a Matan mentor was one more way to contribute her expertise to the field of Jewish disability inclusion, particularly as it related to Jewish education. She was known in the Chicago area for being a dedicated educator who worked to ensure that every child could be successfully included in Jewish education. We were lucky that Rachel wanted to expand her reach by being a Matan Mentor. In her quiet, unassuming way, she had a tremendous impact on every participant she mentored over the past seven years.

Rachel passed away on June 4, 2024, about the midway point of Cohort 14 of the Matan Institute for Education and Youth Directors. In December, the cohort came together in person to finish the program; it was our first Institute experience in seven years that did not include Rachel.

But we needed to include Rachel. Our participants, particularly those she was mentoring directly, were devastated by her loss and though not physically present, Rachel was with us in so many ways. The most “concrete” of those ways was a text study in her memory.

Pairs of Institute participants were provided with a selection of Jewish texts that relate to inclusion. Each pair was asked to choose the one that they felt most reflected Rachel’s values. They were then given 20 interlocking blocks with which to create a structure, and taped their quote onto their creation. Finally, the entire group was asked to figure out a way to attach all of their structures together. Our participants had to navigate how to connect the pieces, ensuring the newly formed structure didn’t grow too tall (and topple), and they decided that every text should be visible. 

The final structure didn’t resemble each pair’s initial, individual concept; rather it became a collaborative effort in which ideas were exchanged, priorities were managed, and every piece was taken into consideration – just as Rachel’s lifelong dedication to inclusion ensured that everyone’s needs would be taken into account and nobody would feel separated or excluded. Rachel’s wisdom and kindness will always be a part of Matan.

May her memory be for a blessing.