Rabbi Eliezer Lederfeind

       Rabbi Eliezer Lederfeind is the founder of Our Way, an outreach program established in 1969 for the Jewish Deaf. Our Way provides both religious and social activities for Deaf youth and adults.

Personal History
      Rabbi Lederfeind was born in a family with Deaf parents and three older hearing sisters and they all learned ASL. A native of Brooklyn, NY, Lederfeind felt fortunate to at­tend the Yeshiva Gedolah of Pittsburgh. Neighbor to Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf, Lederfeind developed a strong need for Jewish Deaf involvement. With encouragement from the Dean of his school, Rabbi Lederfeind took over the Jewish Studies Program at the Western Pennsylvania School. At the time, there were only six Jewish Deaf students enrolled in the program, giving Rabbi Lederfeind six reasons to go.

      With plans to leave Pittsburgh, Lederfeind became a volunteer with the National Conference of Synagogue Youth program of the Orthodox Union (NCSY). NCSY was a bit wary at first of his ideas as they did not know what to expect.

About Our Way
      Thirty years later, his program, Our Way, which has become a project under NCSY sponsored by the National Jewish Council for the Disabled (NJCD) has ten chap­ters across the United States, Canada and Israel. Pro­grams include Shabbat retreats, parent support groups, Jewish Deaf Singles Registry and Big Brother/Sister events. Our Way has also published illustrated sign charts of Jewish vocabulary and periodicals with information on Jewish laws and customs.

      They welcome people from all branches of Judaism. The New York chapter has ten staff members, both Deaf and hearing, who meet with local Jewish Deaf people regard­ing their concerns and needs. Rabbi Lederfeind explains that the majority of Deaf clubs caters to senior citizens. "The Jewish Deaf community is radically changing due to intermarriage and lack of Jewish education." Rabbi Lederfeind and Our Way is trying to prevent these changes through their projects.

Encouraging Singles
      The Jewish Deaf Singles Registry, under Samuel Landau, is a program Rabbi Lederfeind is extremely proud of. The group helps Deaf and hard of hearing singles with the opportunity to socialize and meet the right people for marriage. It currently has close to 100 people from all around the world participating. Jewish Deaf including Reform, Conservative and Orthodox, have the chance to meet with people who share the same interests and he reports that successful matches have been made. This is when Rabbi Lederfeind feels it is good to lose members ...to marriage!

Family Life And Jewish Education
     Rabbi Lederfeind and his wife Annie have six children, four hearing boys and two Deaf girls. Their daughters are enrolled in an oral, mainstream program at the Ye­shiva and all of their children are growing up knowing their Jewish heritage. The battle between oral vs. sign is constant, but the concentration needs to be put on Jewish education as a whole, no matter what mode of com­munication.

Goals And Dreams
     "The Jewish Deaf population needs to be more committed to Judaism as a whole. There are too many dropping out of the community due to intermarriage and non-participation." Rabbi Lederfeind hopes that his programs and services reach Jewish Deaf everywhere. "There are many choices available, people just have to be willing to take advantage of them."

Getting In Touch
     To find out more information on the various programs and services offered by Our Way contact:

Rabbi Eliezer Lederfeind at Our Way
11 Broadway
New York, NY 10004

212/613-8229 VOICE

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