Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
We value diversity and inclusion by embracing the variety of Jewish experience, thought, and practice. There is more than one way to believe, practice, and live as a Jew and we recognize that. 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.
Inclusion is one of our core values and we strive to be responsive to the needs of our congregants, their families, and guests while they worship, socialize, and learn with us. We celebrate the uniqueness of each individual and welcome diversity within our community.
We try our best, and this means being an open, welcoming, and inclusive community requires us to balance competing needs. Turning up the lights for those with weakened vision may cause headaches for others. Please let us know if there is anything you would like us to know so that we can help you and your family members participate in our community as fully as each would like. The accommodation request form can be submitted for any activity at CEC.
Accommodations such as streaming, large print prayer books, visual aids, and sensory spaces are readily available. Captioning and Sign Language Interpreting can be provided upon request. These and other requested accommodations are available to ensure that all are able to participate meaningfully in all spiritual, educational, and live cycle events. We want to help you feel seen, heard, and welcome. At the same time, we know we can't address every need. Thank you for your understanding that we aspire to balance the needs of all guests to help them fully participate, and there are times when we cannot meet them all.
In terms of our facilities, you’ll find we have:
An all-gender restroom in the office
Designated parking spaces
Electronic entry doors
Preferred seating in our sanctuary and classrooms
A ramp to access the bima
In terms of what we offer:
Sound amplification headsets
Wheelchairs available on-site
Highchair and booster chairs
English transliteration of Hebrew texts and prayers
Large-print books for services
Magnifying lenses and book lights
American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters are 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
Flexible requirements for b’nai mitzvah to ensure that students of all ability levels can achieve success
A resource room for pull-out sessions for children whose learning needs can’t be met in their classroom
Ceremonies and life-cycle events for interfaith and LGBTQ+ couples
Livestreaming of worship for those unable to attend in person
Financial options available for membership, program fees, and education to avoid barriers to participation
Dedicated inclusion specialist on staff
Dietary Restrictions Commitment
Our Inclusion Specialist welcomes requests for additional accommodations. Please email any questions or concerns to inclusion@mycec.org.
We are
Individuals and couples; seniors and students.
Families with young children and empty nesters.
Single parents, blended famlies, widows, and windowers.
LGBTQ+ and their allies, Jews of Color, Jewish, Jew-ish, and interfaith.
Youth and 20/30s who are exploring their identity.
Matt Newton
Inclusive Education Coordinator
Theorizing that one could time travel within his lifetime, Matt Newton stepped into the Quantum Leap accelerator and vanished…” Well, not exactly. While Matt is not Dr. Sam Becket, he feels blessed to have jumped through several rewarding life experiences, including previous careers as a U.S. Army linguist, an advertising “madman”, and a marketing coordinator for a multi-global corporation. However, it wasn't until meeting his wife Mia (an incredible high school teacher) that Matt discovered his true calling - supporting neurodivergent youth and adults as they work to navigate living in a neurotypical society.
Over the years, this passion has led Matt to help this population (and their families) find inclusion, social-emotional support, and advocacy at school, home, and work. At his previous company, where he still works part time as the program director and a coach, Matt helped design training materials and provided coaching to staff for best practices on supporting the neurodiverse community. Additionally, he works 1:1 with clients and their families on developing strategies to help manage some of the daily challenges they face
With a degree in Psychology from San Jose State and several years of experience working with children and adults, Matt is excited to join Congregation Etz Chaim in supporting inclusion for all. As a Jewish-adjacent partner in an interfaith marriage, raising a daughter firmly in the Jewish faith, Matt believes recognizing and appreciating our differences is a key to building life-long foundations of faith and growth. Having recently moved to Illinois from the California Bay Area, he, his wife Mia, and their daughter Talia are appreciative of how welcoming CEC is and look forward to continuing to grow within this loving community.
Zichronam Livracha זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה
May Their Memory Be for a Blessing
Rachel Wood z"l
Inclusion Specialist & B'nai Mitzvah Tutor
Rachel Wood was 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 differences, 6th-grade Hebrew teacher, and the B’nai Mitzvah tutor. She became an inclusion specialist here at CEC and a mentor to support Jewish institutions across the country as they provide inclusion opportunities for their students. She aided teachers and teaching assistants who have children in their classes with diagnosed learning disabilities and offered suggestions and materials for children who need to approach learning in a non-traditional manner. On top of that, she supported adults by organizing sign language interpretation as well as CART (closed captioning) system .
She was a licensed speech/language pathologist with an emphasis on child development and learning styles. She put those skills to use in public schools, private practice, and early intervention programs.
Rachel devoted her life to helping others and was a strong advocate for people with disabilities. Her impact on our community truly cannot be understated.
