At Temple Emanu-El, we strive to make our programs accessible to everyone. Our doors are open to anyone who is searching for a doorway into a home: those with special needs, multi-faith family units, LGBTQ+ community, Jews of Color, and others. We are accessible and inclusive of all those with both visible and invisible disabilities. Regardless of your age, there is programming here for you, at a time when Jews need community more than ever.
Wheelchair Access
There are three ways for members and guests in wheelchairs to access our campus:
- For services in the Main Sanctuary and Beth-El Chapels: through the Garden Entrance, the northernmost door of the synagogue on Fifth Avenue between 65th and 66th Streets
- For programs in our religious school and Lowenstein Sanctuary: at 10 East 66th Street
- For programs in our offices, nursery school, Greenwald Auditorium, Museum and Library: at 1 East 65th Street.
Restrooms for the Fifth Avenue Sanctuary are located on the Fifth Avenue mezzanine (one floor down). For members and guests who may find stairs difficult to manage, there is a new elevator at the rear of Beth El Chapel. We recommend entering through the Garden Entrance on Fifth Avenue and taking this elevator to access restrooms. Alternatively, you may still enter through the Community House doors at 1 East 65th Street and use that elevator to access the mezzanine level.
In Lowenstein Sanctuary, restrooms are on the first floor.
Assistive Listening Devices and Large Print Prayer Books
Our ushers are happy to provide guests with hearing enhancement devices and/or large print prayer books when requested.
Induction Loop Hearing System
For those who have hearing aids or cochlear implants equipped with t-coils, our sophisticated loop system allows them to receive a direct audio feed of our services and programs in the Fifth Avenue and Lowenstein Sanctuaries. Please note that the t-coil setting in hearing aids must be turned on before use. Consult your audiologist to ensure t-coils are properly adjusted for this purpose.
Gender Neutral Bathrooms
We have multiple gender neutral bathrooms on our campus.
Service Animals
We allow service animals, i.e. animals individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability. We regret that we cannot permit emotional support animals to enter the premises, as they are not trained in the same way.
Department of Lifelong Learning/Religious School
We want every student to feel wanted, needed, and included. We support all of our students and provide resources tailored to their learning needs. We support families and their children who experience learning and social-emotional challenges. In our programs, we strive to implement accommodations in a student’s IEP. We are open to discussing different learning opportunities.
The school has an inclusion coordinator on staff and works with experts in the field to ensure we can meet the needs of all learners. The coordinator also meets with teachers. To this end, the members of the Lifelong Learning team engage in their own professional development
Each student in the third to sixth grade studies Hebrew with a tutor one-on-one online so that their individual needs are met.
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