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MEDFORD-- On a recent Friday night, a group of young Jewish adults sat in a circle and used drums to tap out a beat to the Chanukah blessings. Then they enjoyed a Shabbat service and dinner. Nine of the young adults had special needs, with ranging levels of disabilities; 14 were undergraduates at Tufts University. The inclusive group, called Gateways to College, meets monthly on the Tufts campus.

“I like coming and talking to my buddy,” said Jacob Yellin, 26, of Salem. Jacob is one of four disabled adults from the North Shore who participates in the group. His “buddy” is Sarah Eisemann, 20, a senior at Tufts.

The mission of Gateways to College is to provide Jewish adults with special needs the chance to interact with peers and build a sense of community, while learning about Judaism. Gateways to College is a part of the larger Gateways: Access to Jewish Education program.

Program Coordinator Sonni Bendetson founded the group a year ago.

“Young adults with special needs who don’t go to college often lose their peer group after high school,” Bendetson said. Although opportunities to engage with the Jewish community become more abundant after high school, Jewish social interaction for young adults with special needs significantly declines after high school, she said.

Bendetson, a 2009 Tufts alumna, interned at Gateways: Access to Jewish Education as an undergraduate. There she learned that parents wanted to provide their disabled kids with a way to stay connected.

Sandy Slavet’s daughter Marie participates in the program. “When you have community support like this, it’s not something you take for granted,” said Slavet, director of the Disabilities Resource Network of Jewish Family and Children’s Services.

Tufts students take part in monthly training, a sort of “Disabilities 101,” said Bendetson. They learn basic communication techniques — like offering words of encouragement and asking their buddies to repeat what they have said if it was hard to understand.

Most of the group’s activities focus on discussion of Jewish concepts and upcoming holidays. At a recent meeting, they celebrated Chanukah.

Afterwards, they all attended the Shabbat service at Tufts Hillel. Gateway members were offered visual guides, including large type prayer books kept at Hillel. It’s also an opportunity to show the rest of the Hillel community how to make materials more accessible.

The program has opened new doors for Tufts students who did not attend temple often as adolescents, or non-Jews interested in partaking of the services.

“I’ve been meaning to get involved with Hillel,” said Jon Lam, 20, a Tufts junior. “This program has helped me meet a different group of people than I’d normally hang out with [on campus]. It has helped shape my own Jewish identity.”

Arielle Evans, 20, a sophomore, joined to find an outlet for giving back. “My favorite part is Shabbat services — seeing my buddy Ilyse’s involvement is amazing. She knows all of the words, and can stand and clap to each prayer,” Evans said.

The Gateways program clearly benefits the disabled, as well.

“I have made friends, and I didn’t have many Jewish friends before this,” said Nikolay Kuzmina, 25, of Marblehead. “I’ve learned about my heritage,” he added.

Gateways to College exists at Tufts University’s Hillel thanks to a one-year grant from Combined Jewish Philanthropies, as well as funding through Repair the World.

Bendetson hopes to continue the program next year and expand it to other college campuses.

For more, click here or visit http://www.facebook.com/GatewaysToCollege.