The Chief Rabbi has voiced his views with us and shared some thoughts on Jewish approaches to disability.
“We have a shared responsibility to actively seek out ways to create a level playing field in our society, so that any person with a disability need not be defined by that part of their lives. The Chief Rabbi has pointed that we need to look no further than our most prominent Biblical role models to understand what God expects of people with disabilities. Both Issac and Jacob were blind during the latter stages of their lives and yet their greatness was never diminished. Most strikingly, Moses suffered an injury in his childhood which left him with a significant speech impediment. He relied upon the support of his Brother, Aaron, in leading the Children of Israel from slavery to freedom. And Moses remains, without any doubt, the single greatest leader of the Jewish people who has ever lived.
That is the Jewish vision for those with a disability – that with the necessary support from those around them, there is no limit to what they can achieve. The Chief Rabbi is extremely proud of the wonderful charitable organisations within the Jewish community who set such an outstanding example to us all and will continue in his efforts to support their worthy endeavours”.