The Jerusalem Center for Children with Visual Impairments and Multiple Disabilities
Group Activities for Children, Schools, and Bar/Bat Mitzvah Projects
Put the Mitzvah Back into Bar/Bat Mitzvah
Mazal tov! You have arrived at one of the most joyous milestones in the life of a Jewish child! We are so excited for you and your family, and we want to celebrate with you!
We are charged with the task of building a world of kindness, a world where we care for others, and do what we can to leave the world a better place than we found it. As you become a Bat/Bar Mitzvah, we invite you to make a difference in the lives of the children of Keren Or by incorporating Keren Or in one or more of the following ways:
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bring a “Ray of Light” art project into your pre-school or Hebrew school’s lower grades. Teach the children about what it means to be blind, and the importance of touching rather than seeing.
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Organize one of our highly successful group activities – such as tactile art projects, blindfolded tastings, and swim-a-thons – for your friends.
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Include an insert about Keren Or in your invitation
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Invite guests to donate to Keren Or in honor of your B’nei Mitzvah
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Speak about Keren Or in your B’nei Mitzvah presentation
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Set up a personal goal and fundraising campaign to benefit Keren Or, like a bake sale or walk-a-thon.
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Order Keren Or’s custom Rosh Hashanah cards to send to your friends and family.​
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By including Keren Or in your B’nei Mitzvah, you can learn about the lives of young people with disabilities, and experience the fulfillment of giving tzedakah to benefit your peers in Israel.
We’re Here to Help You!
Our team is available to help you customize your B’nei Mitzvah experience. Our staff in the New York office will discuss various projects to find the perfect fit for your family group.
Contact us today! Email info@keren-or.org or Call 212.279.4070
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Is Your Family Going to Israel to Celebrate?
Visit the Keren Or Center!
We welcome visitors of all ages. Our staff will gladly coordinate a group tour of our facilities, including our world class hydrotherapy center.
We can arrange for a customized experience for your group to better understand what life is like for a person who has a visual impairment and multiple
disabilities.
There is no better way to learn and connect with this Keren-Or than to see for yourself the school, the children and staff at work. Contact us today to arrange a visit: info@keren-or.org
Experiential Activities for Groups of All Ages!
Perfect for schools, camps, or even group of friends! Join together for fun activities that demonstrate the impact of blindness and the ways that the children of Keren Or need to adapt to experience everyday parts of life such as eating and reading.
Tactile Art Projects
Our Tactile Books, 3D Cards, and 3D Murals projects demonstrate the ability to tell stories and stimulate imaginations through materials that can be touched and felt. Create tactile books or cards using your creativity to make a story come to life with tactile art supplies. This allows for a sensory “reading” experience that would otherwise be out of reach for a blind and multi-disabled child. Tactile art projects incorporate colored sand, cotton balls, streamers, and pipe cleaners that help stimulate our children’s senses.
Perfect for schools, camps, or even group of friends! Join together for fun activities that demonstrate the impact of blindness and the ways that the children of Keren Or need to adapt to experience everyday parts of life such as eating and reading.
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Blindfolded Tastings
Our blindfolded tastings allow everyone to experience sensory stimulation through only touch, taste, and smell. By being blindfolded and trying different food and beverages, we can better understand how a blind person experiences eating and the vastly complex tastes and textures. They must rely upon their memory to associate certain smells with foods that taste good or displeasing. This is particularly helpful in illustrating how a person with blindness identifies different foods and the difficulties they face with self-feeding without the aid of vision. Leaders can use a variety of food and drink and encourage participants to vocalize their concerns and emotions with this project to express empathy for those with disabilities who face these hardships every day.
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Swim-a-Thon
Organize this classic fundraiser, encouraging personal responsibility and pride in working for a good cause. Get sponsors for laps, and see how far you and your friends can go! Swim-a-thons are a great tie-in to Keren Or because of our work with the children in our hydrotherapy pool. However, you can organize an anything-a-thon. Fill in your favorite activity! Jogging, walking, music, you name it!
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