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“It has made a HUGE difference in the lives of our children and our family!”

 

Creating an inclusive community

 

Federation is proud to fund inclusion programs and disability services through endowments and distributions to our beneficiary agencies. One such endowment is the Goldberger Family Fund, which provides funding for services including educational support, equipment, respite care and specialty camp for Jewish families in St. Paul whose children are on the autism spectrum.

 

The fund was established by Jay and Esther Goldberger, whose son was diagnosed with autism. They recognized that while they were able to get him the care he needed, other families were struggling to pay for similar services. So, they decided to do something about it.

 

David (not his real name) was able to attend Camp Ramah last year with the help of a Goldberger scholarship. His parents say it made a huge difference: "Having a child who is not neurotypical can incur myriad types of costs; two of the most concerning for us as parents were a feeling of isolation from the Jewish community, in addition to literal financial costs.Scholarships, including the Goldberger Scholarship, helped toward solving both of these issues.

 

“We could not have afforded Camp Ramah without this help, and our child would not have nearly the same connection to Judaism and the Jewish community (in addition to the significant personal growth that took place over the summer) without that camp experience. We are very grateful that both these opportunities, as well as help affording these opportunities are available in our community, and it has made a HUGE difference in the lives of our child, ourselves and our family!"

 

Applications for Goldberg Family Fund scholarship are now available.

 

February is Jewish Disability Awareness & Inclusion Month

 

Federation also supports inclusion programs and disability services through our local and international beneficiary agencies:

  • Transportation for individuals with disabilities

  • Social groups, classes and wellness activities at the St. Paul JCC

  • Counseling, disability services and support groups at Jewish Family Service of St. Paul

  • Inclusion programs worldwide, like the JDC’s Israel Unlimited

 

If you would like to establish an endowment fund for a special purpose, please contact Jeffrey Prottas at jprottas@stpaulfed.org or 651.695.3186.