This year, the annual event that for years has been taking place in Seeach Sod's main building in Jerusalem and over the nearby rooftops and parking lots was not the only event. This year, separate celebrations were taking place simultaneously in Seeach Sod's Bnei Brak and Bet Shemesh branches as well. The reason for the split was not only the exponential growth of frameworks and members, but a professional decision:
Over the past year, marking fifty years since Seech Sod's establishment, the organization has been creating a veritable revolution of change to precise, individualized services. A unique program, Shearim, was created, specializing specifically in Autism with professionals who specialize in communication. The program includes the Shearim Daycare Center for babies and toddlers diagnosed with ASD; Bishe'arayich – a high school for girls on the spectrum; Shaarei Tevunah – a cheder and yeshivah; and other special services within the community for yeshivah boys with ASD who are mainstreamed in regular yeshivah, such as training apartments and life skills programs to help improve communication, social skills, and emotional regulation. The program also offers parental guidance.
As part of this monumental shift to individual and precise services, the programs' teams focus on every participant and ensure an environment that is fully individualized and right for him or her. This, then, included the change from the traditional, general Seeach Sod shimchas beis hasho'evah event to a few separate events tailored to different groups, yet simultaneously connected via live broadcasts so that it was a joyous global Seeach Sod celebration even while tailoring each event to its particular participants. Seeing the crowds, and the connection that sizzled over the wires, it was easy to see how all the many individuals that comprise Seeach Sod have become one giant, close family, joining forces to empower individuals with disabilities and to make society more accepting and embracing of all.
Among the many guests at the simchas beis hasho'evah celebrations were rabbanim, rebbes and public figures who uplifted the crowds with their passionate words of admiration for the groundbreaking mainstreaming work led by Seeach Sod for the past fifty years, the results of which could be clearly seen in events such as these. As Rabbi Shimon Levi, CEO of Seeach Sod, succinctly described the phenomenon which was not even a dream for most people fifty years ago and is now nearly taken for granted, "Today, people with disabilities lead full Torah lives! There is a cheder where a chumash seudah is celebrated with the grandparents, who shed tears seeing their grandchild with the crown and Chumash! There is a beis Yaakov where girls wear uniforms and attend Bnos events! There is a yeshivah where bochurim with Autism learn in chavrusos! There are employees who have been placed in jobs appropriate both for their skills and their spiritual requirements!"
The world-famous Malchus choir provided beautiful entertainment, led by musician Zanvil Weinberger, accompanied by Shmulik Loterman and a wind orchestra and broadcast over large screens. As in every performance by Seeach Sod's Shir Meyuchad choir, this time too the choir, whose members are all Seeach Sod yeshivah students, was the greatest hit.