Free trip to Israel for Jewish Aspies

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This was in the Feb. 23rd edition of www.haaretz.com (Haaretz English Edition). Sorry it took me so long to post it:

Birthright's first trip for youth with Asperger's deemed a big success
By Daphna Berman

A group of young American Jews with Asperger's syndrome had "an amazing time" here last month on a Taglit-birthright israel tour - the first trip of its kind for people with the neurobiological disorder.

While birthright has previously sponsored trips for other populations with special needs, including groups for young deaf Jews that are conducted almost exclusively in American Sign Language, this was the first tour to be structured especially for young people with Asperger's, which is considered to be a form of high-functioning autism.

Though the free 10-day trip included many of the same activities as regular birthright tours, including visits to Masada and the Golan Heights, the schedule for the Asperger's group was organized strictly "with no surprises" to fit the participants' need for routine and repetition.

People with Asperger's generally have difficulty with social interaction, lack a sense of behavioral codes and often require a rigid routine.

Accordingly, participants were given copies of the daily schedule a night before and almost no changes were made to the itinerary. The Asperger's group also skipped malls, concerts and the popular birthright "mega-event," which draws together up to 3,000 birthright participants in a single auditorium for an evening of music and speeches.

"The noise and crowds are stressful to them and we knew in advance that it was not something they would appreciate," said Nimrod Shafran, the tour coordinator.

Though birthright groups are usually staffed by two leaders for every 40 participants, the Asperger's group had five members for just 17 participants. Staff members often had to help with seemingly mundane tasks, like overseeing the participants as they packed their suitcases or making sure they showered at the end of a long day.

"This is an underserved population," said Andrea Hoffman, director of Hillel's Taglit-birthright israel, which together with Koach, the college arm of the conservative movement, was the driving force behind organizing the Asperger's group. "The kids had an amazing time, they are very bright, and some of them are in college. We wanted to allow them the same experience their peers were having."

That's cool and all, but as an American I would feel it stupid of me to go to another country at this time when everyone hates Americans. Hey I didn't vote for him either time folks! Still probably doesn't matter because the Jews like all other religious groups are prejudice and they probably wouldn't invite a half-Jew like me anyway. I attended the synagogue for awhile and converted so I would be "official Jew' but still doesn't matter. They never accepted me because I don't have a Jewish nose or whatever, thank G_d for that though.

I couldn't have said it better myself.
PROGRESS IS OURS!!

I, too, thought that was the BEST of quotes, Cellogirl!

Merle

____________________
"There's no shame in being a social pariah!"
Marge Simpson

here here

Israel's one of the few countries that still likes us!

I have no dog in this fight

Merle

Last edited by sinsboldly on 15 Mar 2007, 7:24 am, edited 1 time in total.

Just what one would expect of a racist and bigoted country to reward non citizens of their religious persuasion over and above the Palestinian Aspergers people whom whatever your views on the political situation Israel is obligated to provide for their citizens and taxpayers - ie the Palestinians.

Palestinians get pretty much zero health care thanks to the Israeli jews.

If you care to do some research you will find that the Palestinian Aspie children are malnourished and hungry.

In fact he is being prosecuted for raping woman. I see another of their ambassadors or foreign diplomats was sent back for being a sado masochistic tied up gimp pervert with a collection of sex toys (for himself ) - caught red handed tied up and but plug inserted! The last one to hit the papers was done for i believe pedophilia...

"Taglit-birthright" ??? WTF? Presumably given by God..



From the Taglit-Birthright website

So much for ethnic diversity. I see only the whitest of white Ashkenazi jews here. I would have thought two or three olive skinned Sephardic Jews and a black Ethipioan Jew in the group would have made a better advert for ethnic equality.

Last edited by manalitwist on 16 Mar 2007, 9:14 pm, edited 2 times in total.

i have nothing agaisnt the jews or anything, but what makes them so special where like they get there own tv shows about sending jews back to the motherland from russia? has anyone else seen this? they didnt come up with the monotheistic god theory, they just made it popular. so i dont know why they get special treatment like this

Sorry Richard I don't quite catch what you mean by special treatment. Do you think Jews going back to Israel is special treatment? Or do you think Jews having a tv show is special treatment?

Its not special treatment for Jews to go back to Israel. Your tax money does not go to this. Non-Jews do not pay for this. It is entirely funded through Judaic organizations. There is nothing stopping other groups of people such as Ireland inviting IrishAmerican young people back to the Mother Country if they wanted to fund that.

All sorts of groups get tv shows about them. There are plenty of Christian shows, especially in December. Every race of people & every religion I have seen shows about on tv. Jewish shows are not special treatment, but I would call them special because I can't think of more than two Jewish shows I have ever seen unless you want to start counting movies with Jewish characters.

1) Of course offering American Jews a free trip to Israel is special treatment. A Palestinian exile does not get this special treatment.

2) It is arguable that US taxpayers money does not get spent on this cause. As you know the US yearly donates $5 billion of tax payers money to the 5 million or so Israeli Jews, about $1000 for each Israeli Jewish man woman and child. Perhaps this cause was paid with hard earned US tax payers money.

3) This is Palestine/Israel not Ireland...I say it again there are millions of displaced Palestinians who were born in Palestine that are never allowed to see there homeland so why should a bunch of (probably not even real Jews) spoilt Jewish Americans whom have never even had a sniff of Israel get this treatment?

It all boils down to the fact that Israel=THEFT RAPE MURDER this is how they stole the land. It will NEVER be an honest society because it is illegal.

This Hagennah-Return nonsense is nothing but racial supremest/Zionist propoganda.

You could insert pretty much every country in the world in that above equation to.

No you cannot. In our lifetimes Israel has been all of these things: Rape, murder and theft. The reason why it is the only nation to get away with flouting the greatest laws on earth set by the UN is because of the USA vetoing the rest of the world when other countrys set in motion resolutions against it. As we know the US has a great number of very influential Jewish pressure groups and cabals.

Or was that a PSOT?

yep. its because america thinks if they help out Israel jesus will return faster