My Nonprofit Reviews

Our son is 13 years old and completely blind since birth. Since he started Hebrew school at age 6, JBI has been amazing for him and for us. They gave us all of his Hebrew school books in Braille, the kids' magazine Babaganewz in Braille that all of the other kids (including his twin brother) were getting in print, and the prayer book that he uses in synagogue in Braille. We are Conservative, but our religious school is combined with a Reform temple so he also has a Reform prayer book in Braille from JBI. He has not only been able to keep up with his Hebrew school class, but he has become an excellent Hebrew Braille reader, rising way ahead of his class in the Hebrew Mitkadem series of workbooks. He has also received all of the High Holiday, Festival, and 5 Megillot books in Braille from JBI. Last summer he had his Bar Mitzvah and he got his Torah portion and Haftarah both in Braille from JBI. They have never said no to any book that we or my son has requested that they can provide. Recently, he decided he wanted to follow along with all of the Haftarot every week in synagogue and the first volume of all of the Haftarot for the book of Bereshit arrived very quickly in the mail. With my husband being the rabbi of our synagogue, participating in services at the synagogue is a huge part of our son's life, and thanks to JBI, he can feel an equal participant there. Our son also has a deep love of Judaism and a strong desire to lead services and follow along with services. Without his Braille books from JBI, it would be impossible for him to do these things. Whenever he gets a new Jewish text from JBI, he is so excited and very appreciative and he knows he can always depend on JBI to provide him with the Jewish books he would like to have. As his parents, we are so grateful to JBI for allowing our son to feel included and equal to his peers and everyone else in the Jewish community. We beamed with pride at our sons' B'nai Mitzvah and that was due in large part to JBI.

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