As soon as Andy Stodola turned 13, his mother, Susan, decided that one day her son would need a certain level of independence, allowing him to “live his own life”
Jared, our 41-year-old middle son, lives with us at home and is solely dependent on us for his care.
Like most Jewish parents, our goal is to raise our children to be happy and independent and to lead a Jewish life. Our oldest and youngest children and their families have that, and, while Jared was born with disabilities, we do not want him to live his life disabled.
We â like many others in this situation â have to overcome certain obstacles in order to lead a Jewish life and to celebrate all that Judaism has to offer. Jared has, for the most part, been joyfully accepted into our family and the community, but celebrating Jewish festivals is challenging, and mainstreaming isnât an option since too much noise and large group settings overwhelm him.
February has a variety of noteworthy qualities: the shortest month, Black History Month, Valentine’s Day, Arizona Statehood and, as of 2009, Jewish Disability Awareness, Acceptance & Inclusion Month.