Beshalach
Our world is going through a major
change. We are exiting the Industrial Age moving into the new era of
the Information Age. We are moving from an age where many people
worked in factories and well defined 9 to 5 jobs. We are moving to an
age where robots are better able to do many jobs people do and where
more and more people work independently. We are moving into a global
economy. We are moving into a world where communicating with people
half way around the world is often easier than communicating with
ones next door neighbor.
This week's Torah portion continues
the Exodus story describing the long journey through the desert from
slavery in the land of Egypt to freedom in the Promised Land. It
describes how many of the people yearned to go back. Many pleaded
their desire to return to a place they knew rather than a place
unknown.
There are many similarities with
today's environment. In the last U.S. Presidential Campaign , a
majority of voters on both sides voiced a strong desire for change.
Voters made it very clear that being in the desert is difficult.
Things needed to be changed. Unfortunately, both sides promoted their
desire to go back instead of forward. Both sides advocated bringing
factory work back. Both sides advocated solidifying old laws,
processes and procedures that may not be applicable in the new era.
February is Jewish Disability
Awareness Month. People with disabilities are also wandering the
desert, exiting one era but not quite ready to enter the new era. In
the old era much progress was made. Wonderful laws, such as the
Americans with Disability Act, helped make the physical environment
much more accessible. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
helped guarantee that children with disabilities in the U.S. get an
appropriate education. Even though the U.S. has not yet signed the
United Nation's Convention on the Rights of Persons with
Disabilities, it has more than 160 signatories globally. It is
helping people with disabilities throughout the world engage with
their communities. Yet in many ways people with disabilities are
still slaves to their disability and to antiquated laws designed to
take care of them. The unemployment rate of people with disabilities
in U.S. remains over 75% - the same as it has been in the 1950's when
I grew up and before any of the laws mentioned above were passed.
Federal law still requires people with disabilities to prove they
cannot work in order to receive services needed for survival.
Today, programs such as Supplemental
Security Income (S S I) are viewed primarily as safety nets. They
protect people who supposedly are unable to work. In the new era,
these programs will hopefully change to provide services enabling
people to optimize their abilities. Today, we may encourage people
with disabilities to do their best. In the new era, everyone will be
expected to fully live their lives. The tools and services required
to function optimally will be available to everyone. Today, medical
equipment, personal assistant services, and other human support
services are viewed as services that help for people with
disabilities. In the new era, they will be viewed as enablers
available to all people. Disability will be viewed as a diversity
asset rather than a health issue. Personal assistants will be viewed
as good jobs in a large job market. Special education will be the
norm available to all children enabling them to reach their
potential.
Neither personal or societal
transitions are ever easy. 5 years ago I went through a personal
transition. I went from being a very independent person with a
disability to a person who needs personal assistant services for
almost all my activities of daily living. I used to be able to get
out of bed whenever I wanted, eat when I wanted, drive a car when I
wanted and do almost everything without assistance. Now I rely on
attendants. I prided myself for knowing how to be a person with a
disability. I was shocked at how difficult the transition was and
continues to be. I was amazed at how difficult it was to rely on
people for my everyday needs. I too yearned to go back. There is,
however, no turning back. For me, my transitioning reinforced my
understanding of how truly wonderful people are. People do amazing
things when asked. I learned to ask for what I need. I also learned
to value time and focus on things that are most important to me. Yes,
transitions are difficult. They cannot be avoided.
In this week's Torah portion we read
about how many Egyptian soldiers tried to pull the Jews back and how
many Jews wanted to go back. We see that today. Many people want to
go back and many people are trying to pull us back. What I find most
exciting about Bashalach is that the Jews did not turn back. The
Egyptian soldiers weren't able to bring us back. Similarly today,
there can be no going back. Wandering the desert is, and will
continue to be, difficult. We will get to our destination! It took
the Jews 40 years to cross the desert. No one knows how long it will
take us to cross our desert. There is one thing we do know. We must
Go! Go! Go!
