It took a professionally upsetting and embarrassing incident for Rabbi Joy Levitt to realize how far the JCC, and indeed all Jewish communal agencies, had to go when it came to treating those in its neurodiverse community. But evolve the JCC did, thanks to the largesse and personal knowledge of people like Jack and Shirley Silver, whose Center for Special Needs at the JCC became the home of numerous groundbreaking programs. Among them was Adaptations, a supportive social community for adults in their 20s and 30s that offered individuals with a high level of independence a place to socialize, learn, grow, and deepen their connections to one another through structured social/recreational and employment programs. Thanks to an extraordinary lay-professional partnership, the seeds planted by the Silvers came to provide multiple pathways to fostering independence, finding passion, and experiencing the richness of community.

To learn more about Adaptations at the JCC, visit https://mmjccm.org/adaptations.