Marcus Benayon

Special Education and the Jewish Ultra Orthodox Hassidic Communities Marcus Benayon

In 2010, Dr. Benayon has developed a unique series of special education courses delivered to Ultra Orthodox Rabbis. The courses introduced the Rabbis to background knowledge and applied skills that would enable them to deal with special education and behavior problems of students attending schools serving the Ultra Orthodox Jewish community. The rationale for development and administration of the courses to the Rabbis was to introduce them to relevant skills based on current, evidence based research on instruction of children with diverse learning needs. This was a monumental opportunity for all parties involved to gain insight into a unique community that until the present day rarely engages in endeavors that involved a major secular university anywhere in the world. This book documents the process, personal interviews with select Rabbis and the effect the courses had on them and most importantly their students.