A festive graduation ceremony recently marked the conclusion of a unique course in sign language for family members and professionals who work with deaf Bedouin children from the Misgav region. The course was initiated and organized by the Social Services Department of the Misgav Regional Council with funding from the Jewish Agency's Partnership 2000 program. The course was intended to improve and expand the base of communication between children with hearing disabilities, their families and other adults with whom they meet, such as social workers and youth counselors.

During the eight-month long course, the participants met once a week with their teacher, Ruthi Levkowitz, she herself hearing disabled, to study and practice the signs and movements that compose sign language. Practicing often brought a smile to the participant's face, as sign language also requires the use of facial and bodily expressions. Actually, it is a dramatic activity of sorts where the "talking" in sign language allows generally introverted individuals to express themselves in a relaxed and natural manner.

The initiative to open the course was that of Yair Levine, a Misgav area social worker, active in Bedouin communities. Through his work in the Bedouin community of Arab Al Naim, he came to understand that a communications gap existed between hearing handicapped children and the adults surrounding them. The children studied and spoke sign language at school or at the social club for hearing handicapped operated by the community; however, they were unable to use this wealth of language at home simply because the adults around them didn't "speak" the language.

At the graduation ceremony held at the new multi-purpose community center in the village of Salameh the graduates were congratulated on their efforts by Yael Reich, the Jewish Agency/Partnership 2000 regional manager for the Karmiel/Misgav region, Baruch Rosen, deputy mayor of the Misgav Regional Council and Orna Schweitzer, director of the Misgav Social Services Department.

Ali Naim, a father of three hearing handicapped children said the course aided him significantly, "I came in order to understand, in order that it would be easier for me to understand my children. I feel that this course has helped me and hopeful that it will continue."

The course was funded by an allocation from the Jewish Agency's Partnership 2000 program, jointly operated by the Karmiel/Misgav region and the partner United Jewish Federations of Pittsburgh and Baltimore. Last year, at the request of the Misgav council, it was decided to allocate P2K funds for the benefit of this unique project in the Bedouin community. The Social Services Department now hopes that it will be possible to obtain additional funding to open a similar course for other families as well as an advance course that will enhance the new graduates' command of the language.

  Nisan 5764 - March 2004