“Our children are entitled to learn and live their Jewish heritage, and they cannot fully do so if they continue to exist at the margins of the Jewish community.”
~”Invisible Disability Kids are Being Left Out” by Dov Linzer and Devorah Zlochower.
The Jewish Week, Op-Ed. November 10, 2009

The PAS Congregational School has entered into a partnership with an organization called Matan (meaning “gift”) in order to serve our students with special needs. Matan supports and strengthens the efforts of families of Jewish youth and children with special needs and the Jewish educational professionals who work with them. Matan’s mission is that every Jewish learner has access to a rich and meaningful Jewish education and experience and that a child’s special needs never become a barrier to full participation in a vibrant Jewish life.

Matan will help oversee curriculum, teacher hiring, classroom management and intake of students with special needs to decide whether learners can be integrated into the Congregational School neuro-typical classes and programs or if they should be placed in a separate Matan class. Matan learners take part in all special programs both during the week and on Shabbat. They are invited to join their age-appropriate group for special Kabbalat Shabbat dinners.