10 steps. Pay close attention to the 10 steps.

By Julia Loeb, WLCJ International President

No, this opening isn’t clickbait for a get rich quick scheme, or an abbreviated 12-step program, but 10 physical steps that separate the main level of our home from the bedrooms upstairs. I go up and down these 10 steps many times a day without thinking about it, but lately, I have been counting them out every time. I have been thinking about many other activities in my daily life that would not have been remarkable before. In the past month I have flown on an airplane, stayed in a hotel, been out to a restaurant, shopped in a store, and of course, there are those 10 steps to climb. All these things were never an issue until a month ago.

The Torah tells us not to “place stumbling blocks before the blind.” (Leviticus 19:14) That commandment is generally interpreted as a directive to not take advantage of, or defraud a blind person, or any person with a physical, mental, or emotional challenge. But perhaps this commandment should be read not just as a prohibition, but also as a positive mitzvah—one where we are commanded to remove the barriers that impede others from being full members of our community.

I have been thinking a lot lately about the challenges that those facing physical and other health challenges must overcome daily. As many of you know, just two days before flying out to our wonderful convention in Chicago, I fractured a bone in my ankle. Quickly, I learned firsthand of the many “stumbling blocks” modern life places in front of people with injuries and health challenges.

I was determined not to miss Convention. But my willpower was not sufficient to make that happen. Without the help of family, I could not have packed for the trip. Without the help of the United Airlines assistants, I could not have managed to get through the airports in Washington, D.C. and Chicago. And without the accessible room assigned to me at the Schaumburg hotel, I could not have taken care of myself.

Of course, once I arrived at the hotel, even before the Convention Shabbaton, I was welcomed by the loving, caring women of Women’s League who provided me with a knee scooter and a wheelchair, and who constantly looked out for my needs. 

But even with all that love and help, getting around a big convention hotel on one foot was a major challenge. Things you don’t even think about when you don’t have trouble walking, such as the challenge of a breakfast buffet, were now front of mind. There were just so many literal and figurative stumbling blocks that I had never noticed, and never appreciated their difficulty before.

My injury has also opened my eyes to some of the wonderful accessibility efforts that are provided by thoughtful organizations. Last week, using my knee scooter, I went to a concert at Wolf Trap, a beautiful outdoor music venue and a National Park near Washington, D.C. Wolf Trap exchanged our tickets for accessible seating tickets. They provided a special parking area just yards from the music hall, with a special entrance. And by that entrance, there were special accessible bathrooms, and a separate snack bar hidden from the general crowd. All of that made it so easy to go to the concert and enjoy the evening.

Those types of efforts to provide accessibility are truly a mitzvah. They remove the “stumbling blocks” and allow the person facing physical or health challenges to feel capable and respected. Accessibility isn’t just a right under the Americans with Disabilities Act, it is a moral imperative.

My temporary injury will heal, but many others face similar issues and even greater challenges throughout their lives. This Shabbat, let’s all think how we can remove stumbling blocks faced by others in our community. One valuable resource on that subject is the Women’s League inclusion booklet on our website (https://www.wlcj.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Inclusion-Resource-Guidebook.pdf) that, among other things, provides suggestions for improving the accessibility of our synagogues, services, and programs. Let’s make sure that everyone in our family, Sisterhood Affiliate and broader community knows that they are capable and respected. Let’s all take the necessary steps to make that true.

Shabbat Shalom,
Julia Loeb
WLCJ International President
jloeb@wlcj.org