In terms of our facilities, you’ll find we have ADA accessible:
- Restrooms
- An all-gender restroom in the office
- Parking spaces
- Electronic entry doors
- Preferred seating in our sanctuary and classrooms
- A ramp so congregants may access the bima
In terms of what we offer our guests, if they need it, we have:
- Sound amplification headsets
- Large-print books for all services
- Magnifying lenses and book lights
- American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters available upon request
- A table with quiet sensory activities for children who may have difficulty sitting still
- Assistants for supporting students with distinct learning abilities in the Religious School classrooms
- A resource room for pull out sessions for children whose learning needs can’t be met in their classroom
Our Inclusion Specialist welcomes requests for additional accommodations. Please email any questions or concerns to Rachel@congetzchaim.org. You’ll find more information about our inclusion specialist below.
We are a community for people of all backgrounds, gender orientations, and sexualities who support our mission and values. That also means embracing interfaith families. Beyond our worship and learning experiences, we open our doors to the fellowships of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Al-Anon.
Rachel Wood, Inclusion Specialist
Rachel Wood has been a proud member of Congregation Etz Chaim since 1979. She began teaching in the Religious School shortly after becoming a member, first Judaica but then as part of the Hebrew faculty.
Her varied posts were 3rd grade Hebrew teacher, language lab creator for learners with specifics needs, 6th grade Hebrew teacher, and the B’nai Mitzvah tutor. These days she works as an inclusion specialist not only at Etz Chaim, but also as a mentor to support Jewish institutions as they provide inclusion opportunities for their students. She aids teachers and teaching assistants who have children in their classes with diagnosed learning disabilities. She offers suggestions and materials for children who need to approach learning in a non-traditional manner. On top of that, she supports adults by providing a sign language interpreter as well as use of a CART system (closed captioning).
Rachel is a licensed speech/language pathologist with an emphasis in child development and learning styles. She put that to use in public schools, private practice, and early intervention programs.
