JCA The Choice Foundation

So fortunate to have Ella as part of our team💙

Meet Ella 👋 one of our dedicated volunteers and the co-chair of JCA The Choice Foundation Upskill Program!

Together with Ben Fischl, Ella has created an inclusive and empowering program where people with disabilities can acquire essential life skills and enhance their quality of life.

Ella is a testament to the profound change that can occur when passion and compassion come together.

Thank you, Ella. We are so grateful for everything you do for our community🧡

WE 🩵 Josh Fischl

Meet 👋, one of our dedicated volunteers at JewishCare and JCA The Choice Foundation!

Josh founded JCA The Choice Foundation’s ‘A Weekend Away’, an initiative that has created a transformative experience for individuals living with disabilities. These weekend trips provide people in our community with the opportunity to go on adventures, build meaningful relationships, and make life-long memories.

Thank you, Josh, for your visionary leadership and genuine passion for inclusivity 🤍

Take a moment to read this beautiful story about Ricky Kremer & Dina Kremer 🩵

The Good Life: Ricky and Dina - Kindred Young married couple who are home-owners living in their own apartment. Ricky & Dina's Good Life.

This year’s volunteer awards at JewishCare were awarded to our very own The Choice Foundation volunteers.
We are so proud of you Josh Fischl, Ben Fischl, Ella Schamschula and Jade Reuveny 🩵👏🏻

Growing up, people had low expectations of me. For instance, they didn’t think I could do my HSC. But I did. I’m most proud of doing all the things that people didn’t think I could do.

I felt like my real life started after I finished school. I had a few jobs, and I did some courses. Then, one day, I applied for a job at The Council for Intellectual Disability, and I got it. In the beginning, I was involved in developing workshops. Today, I'm actually leading workshops. I feel like I found my calling.

I love being part of a team too. Whenever there's a big workshop, someone will say “You’ve got this, you can do it”. My job gives me so much confidence. I’m treated fairly and equally, just like everyone else. I don’t need a support worker, because I get the right supports at work. So I'm able to be an independent worker.

Being independent is really important to me. When I realised people thought I couldn’t do certain things, I decided to work out what made me happy and what I wanted to do, instead of trying to please others. Now, if I want to go and do something, I'm pretty determined.

I’d tell parents raising children with disability that it’s important to support your child to start making decisions, even when they are young. Give them a bit more freedom in terms of the choices they make. Ask them directly what they want and take in what they have to say. It might sound silly at first, but when you actually hear their genuine feelings about things, then you can help them to build a good life with all the things that are important to them.

My advice to young people is that there will be some tough times in your life. Focus on finding something that you are really good at, and you love, and then pursue it 100%. Even if people are saying you shouldn't do it, if you've got a passion, you've got to just keep going. Don't let people tell you that you can't do something.

I want people to know that someone with disability is not that different to you. We want to have a well-rounded life. We want friends, we want to be with our families and be in a relationship with someone we love. The things that everyone else wants and is entitled to.
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🎬️ Ricky is a Project Worker at Council for Intellectual Disability He loves movies, restaurants, and filmmaking. You can follow more of his good life Ricky Kremer

You can hear more from Ricky and learn about how you can support your child's decision-making at our upcoming event.

An Introduction to Supported Decision Making
📅 Tue 28 Nov
⏱️ 8:00 pm - 9:00 pm AEDT / NSW Time
✏️ Register via https://events.humanitix.com/mytime2811

The conflict in Israel has been difficult on us all, but it is essential that we don’t forget about supporting our friends with disabilities who are also feeling the weight of this very heavy time.

Read a message we received from one of our participants after we noticed his absence from a few of our programs , this message demonstrates the power of connection during difficult times. 🩵

Join us for our Love for All End-of-Year Celebration! 🌟

This event is open to EVERYONE, especially those who may find it challenging to socialise and form relationships. 🤗

Whether you're on the spectrum, navigating well-being concerns, or seeking a warm and accepting community, we invite you to join us for an evening of lawn bowls, music, and FUN! 🎳🎶

📅 DATE: Thursday, 7th December 2023
📍 WHERE: To be advised (Eastern Suburbs)
⏰ TIME: 5:30pm – 7:30pm
💲 COST: Thanks to the generosity of JCA The Choice Foundation and JewishCare, this event is FREE. Light refreshments will be served (please note that this event is not kosher).

🙌 To secure your spot, please RSVP by clicking the booking link below or visiting the link in our bio:
🎟️ https://buff.ly/3MUvIgl

Let's come together and celebrate the end of the year with open hearts and open arms. Spread the word and bring your friends! 🎉

Every person has a dream; a vision for what they want to become. For what they want their life to look like. For Rebecca, that dream was to work in the world of hairdressing.

Like most dreams, however, the journey to achieve it was not straightforward.

When Shelana Silver, the Community Programs Manager at JewishCare, met Rebecca, she knew she would benefit from J-Jobs. J-Jobs is a JewishCare initiative that involves training and job matching, placing people with a disability in roles suited to them. The program is funded by JCA The Choice Foundation.

Shelana saw past the barriers and challenges facing Rebecca and focused on her raw passion and determination. She became her biggest advocate, working with her to bridge the gap between her dream and her reality.

After what seemed like endless searches and negotiations, the day finally came when Shelana found Rebecca an open employment opportunity in a hairdressing salon.

Rebecca's future is bright, and we are so happy to be a part of it 🤍

We're thrilled to announce our upcoming Maccabi All Abilities Surf Program is back for the summer! 🏄🌊☀️

Join us for 5 unforgettable sessions at Bondi Beach specially organised for our community members with special needs.
This program is all about having a blast while improving your surf skills.

FIRST SESSION IS ON 19TH NOVEMBER.

It's not just about riding the waves; it's about riding them with friends and laughter.

Mark your calendars and get ready to catch some waves, make memories, and soak up the sun with us!

BOOK NOW - LIMITED SPOTS
https://events.humanitix.com/copy-of-surf-s-up-maccabi...

Always wanted to learn how to surf? Maccabi All Abilities is launching it's summer program on the 19th November on Bondi Beach.
Hurry to book your spot.
BOOK NOW:

https://events.humanitix.com/copy-of-surf-s-up-maccabi-all-abilities
@the_choice_foundation

Upskill Drumming 🥁

Participants were invited to try their hand at this new opportunity.
Drumming workshops encourage people to listen to the sounds their peers are making and stay in time and in tune with each other. Everyone had to lean in and focus and lean out and relax at the same time. As always our crew brought the joy and the excitement in to the room.

Join us for our next workshop by contacting us at [email protected]

JCA JewishCare NSW Ben Fischl Ella Schamschula Nadia Vidor

Thinking of our friends and families living with a disability at Adi Rehab in Israel.

As the Pioneering rehabilitation village in Israel which cares for 170 residents with complex disabilities and medical conditions and hundreds more outpatients and school Children with various disabilities. It is also home to the Negev’s first and only rehabilitations hospital with 70 patients and 650 employees.

Only 40 km from the Gaza Strip, and its hospital, ADI is making all of the necessary preparations to receive wounded soldiers and civilians from surrounding areas.
A short distance from Kibbutz Re’im where Hamas murdered hundreds of young party goers, this village sheltered a group of young women who escaped the party.

Please email Danielle at [email protected] to discuss further.

Thank you to the Jewish News for featuring the August Brave Talks. It was an incredible event, we look forward to seeing you at the November Brave Talks 🎤

UPSKILL learns the art of staying safe online. 🔒 💻 📱
An essential skill these days whilst navigating the online world is how to differentiate between what is safe practice and what is deemed unsafe.
Our Upskill team were led by Tara Shekede from Me Plus More to learn all whilst having fun with friends. Thanks to JewishCare NSW JCA Ben Fischl & Ben Lewis.

Shana Tova 🍯🍎 to you and your family & wishing you well over the fast 💙 The Choice Foundation

Check out the The Australian Jewish News with our A Weekend Away participants in Bilpin 📸🗞️💫
JCA JewishCare NSW Flying Fox

Thank you to Kesser Torah College for embracing Maccabi’s Pathways program supported by JCA The Choice Foundation. Together we can ensure that equal opportunities exist for all !

Please reach out to Nicki at Maccabi All Abilities
[email protected] to be a part of this program.

Meet Matis - one of the attendees from Maccabi basketball camp. 🏀With the additional 1:1 support he was able to join in on all of the activities he wanted to made possible through JCA The Choice Foundation. Thank you to his buddy and to the Maccabi Pathways program for ensuring no one misses out on joining in on any of the sporting opportunities available.

A huge thank you to our speakers, Allie, Melissa, Greg and Martine for being so open and brave by sharing their stories, in the hope of starting conversations, creating understanding and empathy and stopping the stigma around mental health.

We have been overwhelmed with positive feedback and received a lot of calls already from people asking to share their story next.
We are here to change the conversation.

If you would like to be the next speaker at Brave Talks, reach out to us to discuss further: http://bit.ly/BraveTalkSpeaker

Thanks to JewishCare NSW, JCA The Choice Foundation and especially to Sarah, Danielle and Talya for all their hard work and dedication.

Follow JCA The Choice Foundation for info on the next Brave Talks in November!

Melbourne x Sydney. 🧳✈️🚙🏠
Our besties from Flying Fox flew to Sydney to join our JewishCare NSW A Weekend Away crew for a weekend in Bilpin. The excitement was at an all time high. Thank you Phillips family for donating your home yet again to accomodate these new friends.

Thanks to JCA JewishCare Australian Jewish Funders LaunchPad Mia Boyarsky Sam Babus Josh Fischl Marnie Fischl LInda Mccarthy Michelle Fletcher Galper Riana Alessi Aya Nahas Jade Reuveny

📣 Online Safety Workshop Alert! 📣
🔒 Join us for an easy-to-follow and fun-filled session on Online Safety with Tara Shekede from Me Plus More!
🗓️ Date: Thursday, 7th September
⏰ Time: 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM
📍 Location: JewishCare, 3 Saber St, Woollahra NSW 2025

At this workshop, you'll have the opportunity to:
🔼 How to identify and avoid scams
🔼 Safe and respectful online behaviour
🔼 What to share on social media
🔼 Creating an online profile

This event is open to ALL abilities and individuals over 18 years old. Everyone is welcome, regardless of ability or background. 🤗

💌 RSVP email at [email protected]. Hurry, as spots are limited!