Limmud Toronto 2021

Our first born son was born with a fatal neurodegenerative illness called Canavan Disease. Jacob wasn't able to walk, talk, see or move. We were told he wouldn't live to reach his fifth birthday. Miraculously, Jacob lived until the age of twenty-one. Jacob couldn't see, but he taught me how to see life. He couldn't speak but he taught me how to listen. He couldn't move, but he was able to move community and make change. As a teacher at a Jewish orthodox school and a member of the Jewish community of Toronto, Jacob's life lessons inspired me to see life through Jacob's eyes. This presentation will highlight the lessons learned from a Jewish lens of living a life dedicated to Tikkun Olamm and Tzeddekah. I will share many of these lessons hoping to inspire others to do the same and live their best lives.