A synagogue adapted for use by children and adults with disabilities is now open in Bnei Brak on the campus of Aleh, an Israeli nonprofit that advocates for children with disabilities.
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Inaugurated last week, the Zekur L'Avraham synagogue is the first in Israel to be fully accessible for worshippers with special needs. The Holy Ark is lower than usual, allowing worshippers in wheelchairs to approach it, and the synagogue is fitted out with elevators, support rails, wheelchair ramps, amplifiers, and assistants who help people read from the Torah.
There are already some accessible synagogues in Israel, but the new one was specifically constructed for children with special needs, to allow them to participate fully in all activities.
The synagogue was named after Abramo (Avraham) Picciotto, who was abducted and murdered in Brazil at age 21.
Aleh donors, Aleh President Reuven Schiff, founder and CEO Rabbi Yehuda Marmorstein, and State Comptroller Matan Engelman and his wife Abigail, who serves as chair of the Picciotto Foundation in Israel, attended the inauguration.
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