(Courtesy of Kool Kids Passaic) For a Jewish child with special needs who attends public school, Yom Tov season can be difficult. It’s hard for a child to see her siblings coming home from school with projects to adorn the family’s yom tov table, while she herself reaches into her backpack, searching for a Rosh Hashanah honey dish, and sadly comes up empty-handed. Kool Kids Passaic pre-yom tov programming seeks to fill this void for its participants with disabilities.

Over the course of the past weeks, Kool Kids Passaic participants have been busy preparing for Rosh Hashanah. During after-school sessions, the children and young women with special needs had the opportunity to make honey jars, while learning about the minhagim of Rosh Hashanah. Creating a project to bring to the yom tov table gives the participants a sense of confidence and belonging.

The Kool Kids Passaic participants who attend the Thursday evening programming also had a special opportunity to travel to Teaneck to visit with Rabbi Senter and learn about honey and beekeeping. These participants were proud to help package honey; they also had the opportunity to purchase honey to bring home for yom tov.

Kool Kids Passaic offers a variety of ongoing programs for Passaic/Clifton children and young women with complex learning and developmental disabilities. In addition to weekly after school sessions, upcoming programs include Yom Tov parties on Sukkot and Shemini Atzeret, and a chol hamoed Sukkot trip. If you know of an individual who would benefit from this programming, please contact [email protected]. Kool Kids Passaic is a volunteer-run organization that depends entirely on community support. For more information, or to make a donation, please visit the website at www.koolkidspassaic.com.