By Becca Wanatick, Associate Executive Director / March 24, 2026
As the sun begins to set on Friday afternoon, the WAE Center begins to fill as our JSDD community members come together to celebrate Shabbat. The bustle of the week slowly gives way to something more intentional. Our monthly Shabbat at the WAE Center is a time to pause, connect, and celebrate together as a community.
At JSDD, Shabbat is more than a ritual. It is a shared experience that brings meaning, comfort, and belonging to the individuals who call our residences home. For our community members, Shabbat offers consistency, warmth, and the joy of coming together, whether in person or on Zoom, week after week, with friends, housemates, and dedicated staff. For many residents, Shabbat is the highlight of the week, a time when everyone slows down together.
For adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, routine is grounding. Shabbat provides a beautiful rhythm that marks the transition from weekday to weekend. From helping set the table with candles, kiddush cup and challah to choosing a favorite Shabbat song, residents actively participate in preparing for Shabbat in ways that feel authentic and empowering. Each of our residences has their own Shabbat box of ritual items to set their tables each week to celebrate together.Â
The familiar sights, sounds, and smells of candles lit, braided challah, grape juice, ignite memories and emotions that foster a deep sense of home. These moments remind our residents that they are part of something enduring and meaningful, together as a community. Shabbat reminds us why community matters. It teaches us that every person, regardless of ability, deserves to feel valued, included, and at home.
Shabbat at JSDD is intentionally inclusive. Each resident is encouraged to take part in whatever way feels comfortable and accessible to them. Some love leading blessings, others enjoy singing along, and some simply find comfort sitting together at the table, taking it all in.
Our staff members play a vital role, supporting participation while honoring individual preferences and abilities. By meeting residents where they are, Shabbat becomes a shared success, one where everyone belongs and contributions of all kinds are celebrated.
At its heart, Shabbat is about connection: to tradition, to one another, and to oneself. It is a weekly opportunity to strengthen relationships. Conversations unfold over dinner, laughter is shared, and friendships are deepened. Celebrating Shabbat together reflects JSDD’s broader mission: to support individuals with dignity, purpose, and joy within a Jewish framework. By honoring Jewish tradition in ways that are accessible and meaningful, we help our residents strengthen their identities while fostering independence and self-esteem.
As we wish each another Shabbat Shalom each week, we are reminded that these moments, simple, sacred, and shared, are what truly make JSDD a community.
