TBS presenters, Elaine, Bess, and Jan are a Dream Team because they are achieving Temple Beth Solomon's forty year-old dream of reaching out into the hearing community and acquainting them with deafness and deaf culture and showing that differences can be woven together to make a beautiful, strong fabric.
Our Dream Team session opened with Jan Seeley describing the differences between the life of a hearing child and the life of a deaf child from waking up early in the morning to a clock radio as opposed to waking up to flashing lights or a bed vibrator. Jan has a wonderful way of evoking good questions from the students and 60 hands were thrust into the air almost continually. How do you know the phone is ringing? Can a deaf kid have a bat mitzvah? How does a deaf person speak? How do you know when someone is at the door? Jan then asked them questions. What do you think would be different in the way you pray and the way we pray? One 12 year-old said: The Rabbi's sermon. Jan answered, "Yes, we have an interpreter for that." Another suggested: A prayer book. Jan answered, "Yes, we wrote our own." Then another bright 12 year-old offered: Music; and Jan replied, "We have music but it's different than yours, it's more like poetry. I will now introduce you to Temple Beth Solomon's master sign-singer, Elaine Aikins."
Elaine signed to them about being born and growing up deaf in hearing surroundings and later at a school for the deaf located in Northern California. She spoke about her family and her hearing daughter for whom sign was her first language. She spoke about her work at Temple Beth Solomon and about her life. The teacher then called for a recess break. No! No! cried 60 young people. We can miss the break! We want to hear more!
Bess was then introduced, and spoke about her deafness and her life. She explained how she was born hard of hearing and then became totally deaf when she was 55 years old. The students related to her immediately, because who in their family does not have a grandparent or a great-aunt or uncle that suffers from a hearing loss? When she told them she was now 82 their faces showed how impressed they were and that endeared them to Bess for life. She talked about having her bat mitzvah at age 65, ten years after she became totally deaf, and stressed that deaf people are really no different than hearing people, they just communicate differently but they have the same dreams, and all the young heads in the room nodded understandingly.
We talked a little about how technology has opened up the world for the deaf, and Bess told them how she had become hooked on e-mail and the World Wide Web. It was too quickly time to go but not before two of the youngsters came over to ask Bess for her e-mail address; her heart sang!
The students had a quick lesson in nonverbal communication at which they were all very adept - in fact they didn't realize how much they already knew and used every day, and then we ended with a big "thumbs up"!
In November of 2000 Temple Beth Solomon hosted the teachers, students and parents of the pre bar/bat mitzvah class of Temple Sinai Religious School at Shabbat services. The following letters are from those students and their teacher, enjoy them as much as we did. (Note: we have corrected some of the spelling errors in the letters to make them easier to read, but have tried to maintain the style of the letters as we received them.)
Dear Jan,
My students and I are very thankful to the congregants of Temple
Beth Solomon and especially to you, for all of your help in
organizing our visit. The students found the experience to be
extremely rewarding and in discussions after the visit, the
students expressed their sincere respect for, and appreciation of
the deaf community. For the parents, students, and teachers, the
Services was an eye-opening experience. Moreover, many of the
students in attendence continue to rave about the Service. On
behalf of Temple Sinai Religious School, I am very thankful for
all your help, and look forward to a strong relationship in the
future.
Happy Hanukkah, Adam Rosenthal
Dear Members of temple Beth Solomon,
I am thank full that you let me come to temple Beth Solomon of
the Deaf. I learn a lot of things, for e.x., I learn that there's
different people in the world and they are very important. The
most interesting thing I saw was the 103 year old lady and she
was still living. I hope she goes forever.
Thank you, Jon Forouzan
Dear Members,
I enjoyed the service on Friday. I had two favorite parts. One
was that I saw a 103 yr. old person. That is a first. This person
did not need glasses or a cane and her skin was glowing. The
other is that a person went up and said the V'achavta in Hebrew
sign language. And the grape juice was good.
Love, Justin Lokzarian
P.S. I wanted wine
Dear Members of Temple Solomon of the Deaf,
I enjoyed your Friday night services very much! I think it was a
once in a lifetime chance to come and see your services. The
thing I enjoyed the most was seeing that magnificent 103 year old
lady. She was amazing! Also I enjoyed when I saw the Shema in
sign (A.S.L). I do not think I will ever see anything as
beautiful as your services. Thank you for inviting Sinai Temple.
I personally loved it!
Sincerely Always, Ramona Saviss
Dear Members of Temple Solomon,
I really appreciated my splendid visit to your temple. I enjoyed
participating in your Friday night service. I leaned a lot about
how deaf people pray. The more I think about my visit the more
I'm fascinated. Once again, thank you very much.
Best Wishes, Ely Khakshouri
Dear Members of Temple Soloman,
I really enjoyed the service, it showed me that at times I should
feel bad about my actions because at times I do not want to get
out of bed in the morning, and yet you people have taken your
disability and turned them into gifts, which is an amazingly
strong attribute that many can only dream of.
It was amazing to see how you people have not discluded yourself
from your residential community which I believe I would have
done, but you've not only become part of that community but
you've also made your own community. And I believe that it was
very noble of you to include us into your community.
Thank you very much for the gift that you have given me, and now
before I feel bad about myself, I will think how much harder it
is for others like you to accomplish, then I will no longer feel
sorry for ourself.
Sincerely, Raphi
Dear Members,
Thank you for inviting Sinai Temple to come to your temple. I
really liked the fact that the whole service was in sign
language. Thank you.
Sincerely, Joshua B.
Dear Members of Temple Solomon of the Deaf,
Thank you for letting us come to your service. It was a wonderful
experience for me and my family. I enjoyed doing the Shema very
much. Thank you again and best wishes.
Sincerely, Marc Abraham
Dear Members of Temple Solomon of the Deaf,
Hi. I would like to thank you for inviting us to your temple. I
really liked the stories that everyone talked about. Once again I
would like to thank you.
Sincerely, Coby Shirazi
Dear Members,
Thank you for inviting us to your wonderful service. I enjoyed
the story about the mom who wouldn't eat. I thought this story
was very thought-provoking. I also enjoyed the grape juice you
served at the end of the service.
From, Ben Cousineau
Dear Members of Temple Beth Solomon,
Thank you so much for inviting us to your temple. I had a great
time and I hope to come again. It was a great experience and I
learned a lot from it. I enjoyed reading the prayers and saying
the Shema in sign language. I am so greatful that I had the
chance to see how you pray. Thank you so much.
Lots of Love, Nadine Babaoff
Dear Members of Temple Solomon,
Thank you for inviting me to your temple I had a great time. It
was a new opportunity for me. I learned how to say the Shema in
sign language which was interesting to me.
Thank you, Pauline K.
Dear Temple Beth Solomon,
Thank you for not only letting me come, but to let me enjoy my
happiness with all at Temple Solomon. I learned a lot. First, I
learned sign lanuage. I learned about giving. I loved it.
Love, Shawn Kermes
Dear Members of Temple Beth Solomon,
Thank you for every thing. I really had a great time and learned
a lot. I can't wait to visit your temple again.
Sincerely, Jessica Eshaghzadeh
Dear Members of Temple Beth Solomon,
I enjoyed going to your temple. I loved how your temple is so
comfortable to be in, and I loved your ceremony. I hope to come
visit again. I enjoyed everything and thank you for inviting
me.
From Sasha Shokerian