Gateways: Access to Jewish Education

Gateways aims to ensure that every Jewish student, regardless of ability, will have access to quality Jewish education and the opportunity to participate meaningfully in Jewish life. Gateways collaborates with educators at area day schools, congregational and community supplementary schools, and Jewish preschools, and has its own free-standing Jewish Education Programs. Gateways educates parents, teachers, administrators, and the broader community, promoting understanding and acceptance of the hundreds of students we serve.

Gateways provides a comprehensive set of services to students, families, and educators in day schools, congregational and community schools and preschools to promote the meaningful and successful inclusion of students with disabilities in Jewish education, and participation in Jewish life. The Center for Professional Learning at Gateways provides training to educators and administrators in preschools, day schools, and congregational schools to build their internal capacity to embrace and support diverse learners. Gateways' Day School Program provides in- school supports and services to enable students with learning challenges to succeed. Gateways offers highly-regarded Jewish Education Programs, including a Sunday Program and B'nei Mitzvah Program for students with more intensive disabilities. The Gateways Peer Development Initiative includes Teen Volunteer Programs, Mitzvah Mensches (an inclusive youth group for teens to learn about social action and philanthropy while practicing social skills) and the newly established Ambassadors for Inclusion disability awareness initiative.

Gateways is led by a former special educator, and many of our staff are certified teachers, special educators or board certified behavioral analysts. We collaborate with educators and specialists across our region to ensure that we are staying in touch with best practices. The administrative team is comprised of specialists with decades of training and experience in their given fields. Gateways is governed by a Board of Trustees, that includes 20 individuals who have a wide variety of expertise, both in the area of special education and in a wide array of business arenas. Gateways is a partner organization of the Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Boston and serves as the Boston Jewish community's regional designated special education provider.

Gateways has helped hundreds of children remain and succeed in Jewish congregational schools and Jewish day schools, and has helped over 70 children achieve a bar or bat mitzvah. We have also built strong partnerships with local schools and congregations and have worked with many of them to design whole-school change processes that will enable them to serve a wide variety of learners. We have also worked with hundreds of typically-developing teens, who have served as volunteers in our programs, and have inspired many of them to pursue careers in special education or to continue volunteering with disabled individuals through college and beyond. As we grow, we will continue to provide whole-school change services, consultation, coaching and curricula to other communities across the United States. We intend to build our consultative practice and to seek out new ways to share other aspects of our work, curricula and expertise with more schools, educators and communities, so that they, too, can grant access to more individuals with disabilities and promote a widely inclusive community.