Overview
Resources
Matan provides resources to help you and your community move from awareness to action. At Matan we believe that special education is just really good education – programs and lessons that are designed through an inclusive lens work better for everyone.
Printable Resources & Lesson Plans
Thanks to generous funders and donors like you, Matan is able to offer many resources at no cost. As you develop an inclusive mindset and learn more about meeting the needs of all learners, feel free to take advantage of Matan’s free resources and lesson plans that you can download, print and easily implement.
Search through our topics, from Shabbat and holidays to classroom tools and Hebrew reading, to find what works best for your family or school.
Additionally, Matan has created a special sequence of lessons in celebration of Jewish Disability Awareness, Acceptance and Inclusion Month (JDAIM), typically held in February. These lesson plans are designed for congregational school and Jewish day school educators (K-12); any teacher can guide their students through important themes, interactive activities and meaningful Jewish discussions about disability – in February or during any month of the year!
Full Curricula
Matan Teen Curriculum
Many congregational schools across the country have implemented a madrichim (teen assistants) program where teens help teachers in their religious school classrooms. Matan’s Teen curriculum was designed by Matan experts to teach madrichim about their critical role through the lens of inclusion.
Everything needed to implement The Matan Institute for Teens is contained in the curriculum itself and can be implemented by an education director, teacher or lay leader.
Matan’s Teen curriculum consists of four units:
Introduction to the Role of Madrichim and Inclusive Thinking
Differentiated Instruction
Child Development/ Remembering who is in the Room
Problem-Solving and Wrap-up
Matan B’nai Mitzvah Inclusion Guide
Becoming a bar or bat mitzvah is a momentous milestone for children as they become a young adult within the Jewish community. The Matan B’nai Mitzvah Inclusion Guide is a program to teach b’nai mitzvah tutors about inclusion, and help them create meaningful and successful b’nai mitzvah experiences for children of all abilities.
Everything needed to implement The Matan B’nai Mitzvah Inclusion Guide is contained in the curriculum itself, and can be implemented by any educator or member of clergy. This guide is intended for a group of tutors to learn together with their facilitator; however, if you work independently as a b’nai mitzvah tutor, you CAN work through the whole curriculum on your own.
Matan's B'nai Mitzvah curriculum consists of eight units:
Relationship-Building: The Key to Success
Teaching Trope and Hebrew to Diverse Learners
Tackling
D’var Torah
The Main Event
Mitzvah Projects
Case Studies
Navigating
the “Big Day”
Technology, Virtual Learning and Additional Resources
Two curricula options for purchase:
The Matan B’nai Mitzvah Inclusion Guide for individual use, is ideal for b’nai mitzvah tutors who work independently or are the sole person in this role within a synagogue.
If there are multiple tutors being trained together, we recommend the Matan B’nai Mitzvah Inclusion Guide for organizations/synagogues.
Most Recent Webinar
Support Animals in Jewish Settings
January 16, 2025 8:00 pm - 9:00 pm ET
Speaker:
Dana Friedman-Graham
Licensed Clinical Social Worker
Join our webinar to explore the important role of support animals in Jewish educational, housing, recreational, and clinical settings. Learn about the differences between service, therapy, and emotional support animals, and hear from panelists with firsthand experience—both those who work in Jewish environments where support animals are available and those who have benefited from them. Don’t miss this opportunity to ask questions and gain valuable insights. This webinar is targeted to clergy, Jewish communal professionals and educators, but all are welcome!
Looking to Create a New Specific Curriculum or Adapt an Already Existing Program?
We are happy to partner with you through our Resource Development and Curriculum Consultation Signature Program.
Connect With Us
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