Asaf, one of the adults in Seeach Sod’s programs, faced a particularly difficult challenge during the coronavirus crisis, as he is hard of hearing and does not speak. During the period of lockdown and quarantine, when no activities were held in his program, it was very difficult for him. Asaf’s parents spoke to Rav Reicher, the director of advancement activities in Seeach Sod, and it was decided that Asaf would participated in the daily class that Rav Reicher delivered over Zoom due to the situation.

“Before Asaf joined the class, I prepared the other participants,” Rav Reicher recounts. “We spoke about their very important role, which entailed extra patience as the class was translated into sign language. The participants derived great satisfaction from their role. They learned some signs and communicated with Asaf over the computer, and they encouraged him visually by clapping and moving their hands. And Asaf himself? He reviewed the class with his parents, took notes on what he learned, and gave us the chance to provide equal opportunities for all!”

Seeach Sod’s vocational programs have been using Zoom to conduct enrichment and educational programming, including hosting guest speakers.