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New Jersey Jewish Standard: Chani Herrmann, director of New Jersey Yachad, is very clear on what makes her program special.

“It’s inclusion,” said Herrmann, who heads the local office of the National Jewish Council for Disabilities, an agency of the Orthodox Union. “Our mission is to promote the inclusion of individuals with special needs into the broader Jewish community.”

“And,” she added, “we want them to have fun.”

Fun also includes recreation time for caregivers of people with developmental disabilities. The group calls the service Shabbaton, playing off the Jewish word, “Sabbath,” or rest. The respite for families and caregivers includes a “an incredible weekend of fun and inclusion” for their charges, Herrmann said.

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