Opening Remarks

Rabbi Tzvi Schectman

Program Chair

Mrs. Rivkee Rudolph

Dinner

Access Israel Welcome 20:30

Yuval Wagner Lieutenant-Colonel Yuval Wagner, an Israeli Air Force combat pilot, founded Access Israel in 1999. In 1987 he was injured in a helicopter crash, which left him a quadriplegic and confined to a wheelchair. As a person with disabilities and a father of three, Wagner realized that Israel was inaccessible to the disabled community, limiting their ability to lead independent and dignified lives. He decided to take action by establishing Access Israel with the help of friends and business colleagues. Despite limited resources, they have now become the leading accessibility advocate in the country.

Presentation 20:30

Ron Gerstenfeld, Deputy Director of Public Affairs Ron Gerstenfeld, a representative from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will welcome trip participants on behalf of the Government of Israel. Ron will also talk about Israel’s growth in the world economy and the impact of Israel’s innovations.

Presentation

Eran Tamir, Esq.- Director of the Legal Department, Commission for Equal Rights The Commission for Equal Rights for Persons with Disabilities in Israel prevents discrimination and promotes the integration of persons with disabilities into Israeli society, as citizens with equal rights and responsibilities in all areas of life. Among those are employment, housing, education, public transportation, services from businesses and public authorities, social security, culture, and leisure. To achieve those goals, the Commission cooperates with relevant bodies in all sectors – the Government, local authorities, and the private and not-for-profit sectors.

Concluding Remarks

Justice Richard Bernstein

Program Chair

Rabbi Mendy Dechter

Jean Judes: Beit Issie Shapiro Jean Judes is the Executive Director of Beit Issie Shapiro, Israel’s leading non-profit organization in the field of disabilities. She is dedicated to bringing about social change in the field of disabilities in Israel and furthering the rights and freedoms of people with disabilities globally. Beit Issie Shapiro is Israel’s leading developer and provider of innovative therapies and state-of-the-art services for children and adults across the entire range of disabilities impacting on over half a million people annually. Beit Issie Shapiro is also a special consultant to the United Nations.

Palmachim Air Force Base 45 mi Take a tour of Palmachim Air Force base and get an up-close view of some the aircraft used to protect Israel.

Presentation

Special in Uniform 45 min Special in Uniform is a unique program, operating in partnership with Jewish National Fund (JNF). It integrates young people with autism and other disabilities into the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and, in turn, into Israeli society.

Presentation

Yuval Wagner Lieutenant-Colonel Yuval Wagner, an Israeli Air Force combat pilot, founded Access Israel in 1999. In 1987 he was injured in a helicopter crash, which left him a quadriplegic and confined to a wheelchair. As a person with disabilities and a father of three, Wagner realized that Israel was inaccessible to the disabled community, limiting their ability to lead independent and dignified lives. He decided to take action by establishing Access Israel with the help of friends and business colleagues. Despite limited resources, they have now become the leading accessibility advocate in the country.

Presentation

Noam Gershoni In 2006, during the second Lebanon war, Noam, an Apache helicopter pilot was critically injured in a helicopter collision over Israel’s northern border. Despite months of grueling rehabilitation, he triumphed and discovered his love for tennis. he went on to win Israel’s first gold medal in the 2012 London Paralympic Games in quad singles wheelchair tennis.

Aleh Negev Visit Aleh Negev: tour of facilities, meet with residents, staff & teen volunteers The innovative ALEH Negev-Nahalat Eran Rehabilitation Village, located in Israel’s southern region, is a multifaceted facility that provides young adults with multiple disabilities the opportunity to live a rich and productive life within a safe environment.

Presentation

Major General (Res.) Doron Almog Doron Almog fulfilled most of his army service in elite IDF units. The Aleh Negev village established by Doron is named after his son Eran, who was one of its first residents. Despite the bereavement and losses within his family, Doron Almog stands out for his leadership capabilities and outstanding personal example, and for creating a future of hope for thousands of people in Israel, including the population of children with disabilities.

Keynote Address

Justice Richard Bernstein Justice Richard Bernstein became the first blind justice, elected by voters statewide, to the Michigan Supreme Court in November 2014. Prior to being elected to Michigan’s highest court, Justice Bernstein was known as a tireless advocate for disabled rights as an attorney in Metro Detroit. Blind since birth, Justice Bernstein is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of Michigan and earned his Juris Doctorate from Northwestern University School of Law.

Dinner

Feast of the Senses Feast of the Senses, a multi-course dinner that aims to illustrate what it’s like to dine as a person with disabilities. The meal, served at the Hilton’s gourmet restaurant, takes the diner through three courses, with the guest “lacking” a certain sense during each course.

Presentation

Paralympic Athlete Pascale Bercovitch Pascale Bercovitch is an Athlete, Journalist, Media Professional and Motivational Speaker. In 1984, at age 17, she slipped and fell under a train, causing the amputation of both legs above the knee. She took up swimming as part of her rehabilitation and was invited to join the Israeli national team with the main goal of competing at the 1992 Paralympic Games in Barcelona. She finished eighth in rowing at the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing and sixth in hand cycling at the 2012 Paralympic Games in London. For nearly the next two decades, she worked as a journalist and documentary maker, producing ‘Three-Hundredths of a Second’, an award-winning film on the 2000 Israeli Paralympic delegation.

Program Chair

Mrs. Tovah Chazanow

Guest Speaker from Dror Program

The Dror Program is an educational program at Tel Aviv University that provides specialized schooling and vocational training to young adults with high-functioning Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). A panel of parents, students and university staff will share remarks and take questions and answers.

Presentation

Gideon Herscher – JDC’s Israel Unlimited Gideon serves as the Executive Director of International Partnerships at the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee. He plays a lead role in developing programs and partnerships for vulnerable populations in Israel and across the globe, including Ethiopia, Rwanda and most recently Haiti and Nepal. Gideon will discuss the JDC’s work in Israel called Israel Unlimited. Israel-Unlimited was established as a partnership between JDC Israel, the Israeli government, the Ruderman Family Foundation and other partners, as a leading developer of services and programs for people with disabilities in Israel.

Site Visit

Yehuda Hamaccabi School Visit a local school where children with special needs are integrated into mainstream classrooms. Learn about the approaches taken and compare and contrast to schools in the United States.

Presentation

Liat Mazare Education Ministry Liat serves as part of the accessibility and inclusion team at the Ministry of Education. Liat will talk about Israel’s challenges, successes and innovation in special education.

Presentation

Michal Rimon Access Israel Michal will discuss inclusion in Israel’s education system and the government legislation that creates a successful inclusion program.

Weizmann Institute

On the Weizmann Institute campus in Rehovot, Israel, around 3,800 scientists, graduate students, highly skilled research technicians, and the staff who support them come to work every day with the goal of solving the most challenging problems facing humankind: climate change, world hunger and malnutrition, cancer and other diseases, safety and security, to name just a few.

• Take a tour of the Weizmann Institute.
• Learn about the latest advances in autism research.
• Learn about accessibility and student integration.

Presentation

ALUT Established in 1974 by parents of children with autism, today ALUT is Israel’s predominant resource for families coping with autism and pervasive developmental disorders (PDD). Its $30 million annual operating budget, 1,400 person staff and a network of 400 volunteers allows ALUT to offer a comprehensive array of services.

Presentation

Nir Siboni https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7ZcmuIjjweMNHNTc1ZpREdTcURONm9oV21ZUEFxMmUzWjVz/view?usp=sharing After many erroneous diagnoses, Nir was diagnosed with autism at the age of 17. Nir decided to attend a special education program at Tzurim School. At Tzurim he was able to learn more about his disability, to study in a manner suited best for him and made it possible for him to have an inclusive and sensitive learning environment. Nir has since gone on to intern and work at numerous jobs. In this presentation, Nir talks about his challenges and triumphs in the classroom and at work and how he has learned to help others in similar situations.

Beis Finger Rehabilitation Center of Colel Chabad

Learn about the History of Colel Chabad and take a tour of a state of the art residence and therapy center for those with severe neurological impairments. The center features a state of the art music therapy room, art room, physiotherapy, occupational therapy and cognitive therapy room. The residents also take part in specialized holistic and horticultural garden therapy.

Presentation

Rabbi Levi Shemtov The Lubavitcher Rebbe’s Approach to individuals with special needs. The Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson of blessed memory is the inspiration behind Friendship Circle. The Rebbe’s unconditional love to people knew no bounds. It is his belief that none of us is complete unless all of us are included. That is the very core and essence of what the Rebbe teaches. It is this single concept that motivates the Friendship Circle.

Presentation

Rabbi Yossi Marozov Disabilities in the Torah: A historical overview of people with disabilities culled from biblical sources. Learn about the rich Jewish past of documented instances of inclusion over thousands of years of Jewish History.

Break Out Session

Participants will break out into four groups of conversation around four disability related topics.

5:00pm Check-in at the Waldorf Astoria

6:00pm: Site Visit

Tower of David Enjoy an accessible tour of the Tower of David and a spectacular lookout over Jerusalem. Learn about the history of the tower and the challenges of making this Jerusalem icon accessible.

Program Chair

Rabbi Mordy Rudolph

Presentation

Alan Brown: Director, Public Impact Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation Alan was injured in January of 1988, after being hit by a wave while on vacation in Martinique, causing him to break his C5-C6 vertebra, but nothing has stopped him from living his life to the fullest. Alan shares his story and inspiration that pushed him to help others with disabilities.

Presentation

Israel Supreme Court Justices Yoram Danziger Yoram Danziger was a Justice of the Supreme Court of Israel who served on the Court from 2007 to 2018. Over the course of his career, he was active in protecting the rights of individuals with disabilities. Born in Israel, Danziger served in the Israeli army from 1972 until 1975. He received his LL.B. degree with honors from Tel Aviv University in 1980, and his LL.M. Degree with honors from the same University in 1981. In 1983 he earned his PhD in law from the London School of Economics. Danziger served as co-editor of the Israeli Bar Law Review and was a board member of the Association for Civil Rights in Israel.

Presentation

Michal Shik General Counsel Access Israel Michal will discuss accessibility and disability law in Israel. She will provide an overview of the legal situation in Israel including interesting legal cases related to accessibility, current legislation and future legal expectations.

Tour of Knesset

The tour of the Knesset, home of the Israeli Parliament provides a close-up look at its ongoing work on the public’s behalf.

Presentation

Guest speaker: Ilan Gilon Member of Knesset Ilan Gilon has long been an advocate for individuals with disabilities. In 1998 Ilan introduced the Equal Rights for Persons with Disabilities Law, which has improved the lives of a million and a half Israelis. Since 2009, Ilan has served as the head of the Knesset Subcommittee for the Regulations for Equal Rights for the Handicapped. He is the winner of the Akim Israel award and the Society for Patients Rights in Israel award. He also serves as chairman of the Lobby for Equality in Health, of the Lobby for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and co-chairman of the Housing Lobby.

Presentation

Guest speaker: Dan Amar Dan is responsible for all accessibility initiatives in the Knesset. He will talk about the Knesset’s advances in accessibility making it an international model for ease of access for its employees and visitors to the Knesset.

Accessible Tour of the Old City

Making Israel’s tourist sites accessible has been a monumental challenge. Protected sites, narrow passageways and rolling terrain have made it difficult to provide access. A representative from Israel’s Social Services division will share its work on making tourists sites accessible and its future plans to make every attraction in Israel accessible.

Program Chair

Mrs. Chana Kavka

Presentation

Ministry of Tourism A representative of the Ministry of Tourism will talk about Israel’s accessibility efforts and it’s future plans to make every tourist site Israel Accessible.

Program Chair

Mrs. Bassie Shemtov

Tour of Shalvah

Over 1,000+ children with a wide array of disabilities are now thriving thanks to a gorgeous, cutting-edge facility and equipment: Semi-Olympic and Hydrotherapy pools, Café Shalva run by program graduates, 400 seat auditorium with unprecedented wheelchair access and live assistance for the blind and deaf, 6 acres of parks and a double-decker playground fit for kids and grownups of all abilities, countless classrooms and therapy spaces outfitted with the most effective equipment available, and so much more!

Program Chair

Rabbi Sender Kafka

Presentations

Trip participants will talk about the work that they do.

• Michael Allessandri
• Dale Anglin
• Dennis Bott
• Laura Marshak

Hosted by Friendship Circle Jerusalem

Program Chair

Chanie Canterman, Executive Director Friendship Circle Jerusalem Chanie will share some of the work that it does in Jerusalem along with real-life stories that parents of children with special needs deal with that are unique to Jerusalem.

Presentation

Michael Oren Michael Oren is an American-born Israeli historian, author, politician, former ambassador to the United States (2009–2013), and current member of the Knesset for the Kulanu party and Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office. Michael shares his personal story and his work advocating for individuals with special needs.

Presentation

Karine Elharar Karin Elharar Hartstein is an Israeli lawyer and politician who currently serves as a member of the Knesset. Due to her muscular dystrophy, she uses a Wheelchair to navigate the Knesset chambers.

Program Chair

Mrs. Chana Kafka

Delegate Presentations

Trip participants will talk about the work that they do.

• John Winer
• Minoti Rajput
• Mark Aeder
• Laurie Landy

Our Crowd

Founded by Jon Medved, OurCrowd is an equity crowdfunding platform that allows accredited investors to invest in pre-vetted startups alongside trusted venture capital investors and angel investors.

Presentation

Technology Marathon Meet with over 20 technology startups focused on enhancing the quality of life for people with disabilities. Some of the startups showcasing their work include:

• Milbat: Milbat develops custom technologies for individuals to help with mobility, communication, memory loss and more
• Angelsense: GPS Tracker & Voice-Monitoring solution designed for children with special needs. One of the most accurate and detailed GPS systems available on the market.
• UPnRIDE: UPnRIDE is a wheeled robotic device, providing upright and seated mobility both for wheelchair users, and for anyone who is unable to, or has difficulty standing or walking.

Feuerstein Institute

The Feuerstein Institute is an international education, treatment and research center, under the chairmanship of Rabbi Rafi Feuerstein. The Institute, which was founded in 1965, is home to a ground-breaking learning method which is used in educational settings and clinical practice. The Feuerstein Institute helps children and adults from all backgrounds, religions and etiologies overcome cognitive, emotional, psychological and social disabilities and maximize their potential, with a view toward integration to the greatest possible extent.

ALYN Rehabilitation Hospital

ALYN Hospital is Israel’s only pediatric and adolescent rehabilitation facility. ALYN treats children with a wide range of congenital and acquired conditions, including cerebral palsy, neuromuscular diseases, spinal cord injuries, brain injuries, burns, terror and motor vehicle accident victims.

Psagot Winery

Psagot Winery is the perfect location to host the Exceptional Israel closing session. The winery makes use of facilities that date to antiquity. Psagot Wine is aged in a special cave containing winemaking implements that date to at least the time of the Second Temple. The combination of ancient tradition and sophisticated technology adds to the allure and mystique of this boutique winemaker.

Program Chair

Rabbi Moshe Grossbaum