THANK YOU
Thank you for joining with us and for making a meaningful commitment to support Gateways. We deeply appreciate your saying YES to an inclusive Jewish community!
It is our privilege to honor Jane Taubenfeld Cohen. Jane has been a cornerstone of the Jewish educational community for nearly three decades, first in her role as founder and Head of School at South Area Solomon Schechter Day School (SASSDS) in Stoughton and subsequently as a mentor to Jewish educators and leaders across the globe.
At SASSDS, Jane envisioned and built a school culture around the word YES: Yes to opening the doors to students with learning challenges. Yes to finding a way to teach each child according to their needs. Yes to partnering with Gateways and its predecessor, the Jewish Special Education Collaborative (JSEC) to provide the therapies, consultation and supports that helped those students thrive in a day school environment.
And it is because of visionaries like Jane that an ever-increasing number of Jewish day, congregational and preschools are finding ways to foster learning environments that serve a broader population of students with special learning needs.
But there is still more to do, and each of us can take action to invite in people often left on the margins of our community. We invite you to imagine what our community can and will look like if we welcome each individual, honoring the unique contribution they make. We invite you to say yes.
We couldn’t be happier to have three dedicated sets of event Co-chairs: Leslie & Alan Crane, Nadine Evans & Rafi Kieval and Lori Barnet & Jeffrey Savit, who have been with us throughout the months of planning for this year’s celebration. Each of these couples has deep affection and admiration for Jane and for her commitment to inclusion, and we cannot express how grateful we are that they have taken such an active role in making this year’s Sweet Sounds so special.
On behalf of our Board of Trustees and our outstanding professional staff, we appreciate your ongoing partnership and your renewed commitment to support Gateways now and into our future!
Warmest Regards,
Michelle S. Alkon, President
Arlene Remz, Executive Director