Ozreinu doubles monthly offerings at Havurah or Neveh

By Jewish Review

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Ozreinu, a Torah study/spiritual support group for parents of children with any type of special needs, is expanding to two meetings in two locations in January in an effort to reach as many parents as possible.

A program of TASK, the disabilities awareness program of Jewish Family and Child Service, Ozreinu has been meeting at Congregation Neveh Shalom since the spring of 2006.

In January, Ozreinu will meet 7:30-8:30 p.m., Jan. 10 at Neveh Shalom in Southwest Portland and 3:15-4:45 p.m., Jan. 12, at Havurah Shalom in Northwest Portland.

“It’s such a nourishing program, we want to reach out to as many parents as we can by offering different meeting places and times,” said TASK Inclusion Specialist Corinne Spiegel.

While all Ozreinu meetings are open to all Jewish parents whether they are affiliated with a synagogue or not, Spiegel said that having the meetings at two synagogues will enhance the comfort level of parents who are affiliated there.

“We’ve found parents feel more comfortable addressing family issues in a familiar environment,” she said. “We selected the synagogues based on response from TASK parents and the willingness of those synagogues to open space to the community.”

Founded by fifth-generation Portland Rabbi Shawn Fields-Meyer in her new home in Los Angeles about eight years ago, Ozreinu is now a national program.

Each parent meeting begins with a “check-in” for parents to share recent issues with other supportive parents. Then facilitator Mel Berwin, a Jewish educator and mother of three, presents Jewish text ranging from Torah to modern Israeli poetry, and leads a discussion on how the text relates to the challenges of parenting children with special needs.

For more information, contact Spiegel at 503-226-7079 ext. 55 or Corinne@jfcs-Portland.org.