Jason, Joel and Kevin are three adult men who live in Shalom House, a supervised group home for adults with disabilities. There is trained staff in the house every day to assist the men and drive them to their activities; one staff person works overnight to insure the safety of the residents. During the week, they each get up in the morning, make their beds, prepare their breakfast and go to work. Jason worked in the laundry of a rehabilitation clinic, Joel works full time in a library and Kevin works part time at two restaurants. When they all return in the late afternoon, they prepare dinner, set the table and make plans for the evening. Two nights a week, they work out at the Jewish Community Center gym; they also belong to a special bowling league.

On Friday night, all of their other activities come to a halt. They prepare a special meal, put the shiny silver candlesticks and Kiddush cups on the table, and drop coins into the carved wooden tzedakah box. Kippahs are pinned to their heads and a brief discussion ensues to determine whose turn it is to light the candles and say the blessings. Together, they greet Shabbat as a family.

Each of the residents of Shalom House has responsibilities for maintaining their bedroom and the common areas of their home. They all contribute to menu planning and food preparation. The residents take pride in the attractive artwork on the walls and the comfortable furniture in the great room. Guests are greeted eagerly and proudly given a full tour of the home.

The residents have memberships in the Jewish Community Center. Two evenings a week, the staff and residents work out in the health club of the JCC. In the summer, they enjoy swimming at the Olympic size pool. They are also active participants in community programs such as concerts, Shabbat dinners, holiday fairs and other special events held at the JCC. The three men join the residents of two other Jewish group homes for holiday celebrations, birthday parties, bowling and more.

On the weekend, activities include shopping trips, visits to malls, bowling and swimming, feeding the ducks at the park or taking a walk to see horses in a stable about a mile away. The men enjoy going to ball games and performances of local theater and music. They don’t always travel as a group; Joel enjoys bookstores while Jason and Kevin prefer ball games. The house has two people on staff each weekend to enable individual choices, and two of the residents have “alone time in the community.”

The residents also participate in social and recreational programs through the city parks department and a special travel group chaperoned by volunteers. They attend Saturday night dances each month and go on occasional day trips.

The Council For Jews With Special Needs hosts an adult group called “Yad B’Yad (hand in hand).” Twice a month, the group meets on a Sunday afternoon at Shalom House. Once a month, they continue their Jewish studies taught by a special educator and a sign language interpreter. They study the holidays and Shabbat, Hebrew and Yiddish, rituals and traditions, history and ethics. In January 2002, half of the group celebrated a B’Nai Mitzvah service, many years after their 13^th birthdays. 

On another Sunday of each month, Yad B’Yad offers social and recreational activities. 18 men and women gather for Shabbat dinners, holiday parties, tzedakah projects, cooking classes, special outings, movie nights, miniature golf and other amusements. The adults group began in 1992; and in the ensuing years, the participants have joined together to celebrate birthdays and to offer sympathy to participants when a parent passes away. One year, they decided to hold their very own prom, complete with corsages and boutonnières, elegant meal and deejay music, door prizes and formal photos.

Shalom House is the center of all of the Yad B’Yad activities. It is conveniently located for participants from different parts of the Valley, and there is a bus stop just two blocks from the house. The great room can hold dozens of people, and the covered patio and yard offers additional entertaining space. Community volunteers are frequent participants in Yad B’Yad activities.

Shalom House has become a warm and welcoming meeting place for the Jewish community’s adults with special needs.