“The Great Miracle”: Nes Gadol
Three families living with autism proudly celebrate their children’s rite of passage together at Vista Del Mar Child and Family Services.
By Tracy Columbus | October 09, 2009
On Sunday, October 18, 2009 at 9:00 am, three children with Autism, ages thirteen to seventeen and their families will come together to observe their Bar and Bat Mitzvah, the Jewish rite of passage from childhood to adulthood.
They will do so as part of Nes Gadol, a religious education program at Vista Del Mar Child and Family Services for children with autism and other special needs. The words, “Nes Gadol” in Hebrew mean, “The Great Miracle”.
The program thrives under the leadership of The Miracle Project founder, Elaine Hall, currently the director of the Vista Inspire Program. Rabbi Jackie Redner will officiate the service.
One of the B’nei Mitzvah children is a non verbal autistic student who has studied for three years for this extraordinary occasion. He is the son of two world class Autism experts who have founded and funded organizations globally.
The “Cantor” for this celebration is a seventeen year old teenager with autism who is a student of The Miracle Project and Vista Inspire Programs.
Elaine Hall, “Coach E.” as she is called by her students and their parents, was the focus of the HBO documentary, “Autism: The Musical”, which profiled her “Miracle Minded” Autism Enrichment programs, her students and the lives of their families.
She is a keynote speaker nationally and was recently asked by the United Nations to be a Global Autism Program Innovation Ambassador. Ms. Hall shared her work in front of four hundred Global Ambassadors at the UN in April; her students presented a performance as well.
Ms. Hall is currently the Director of the Vista Del Mar Nes Gadol Program. She is proud to be of service to families locally and globally by innovating programs which illuminate each child’s ability within their perceived disability, and by optimizing their quality of life through arts enrichment programming at Vista Del Mar.
In 2007, Ms. Hall’s son Neal, a nonverbal autistic, was one of the first to celebrate his Bar Mitzvah at Nes Gadol; he danced his prayers. He typed his Bar Mitzvah speech with his speech therapist, which was read by his step- father at the ceremony before family, friends, and the congregation. Neal typed: ‘G-d helps me find patience with my autism.’
Vista Del Mar Child and Family Services welcomes the opportunity to align children of all ability and circumstance with their unique enrichment programs and comprehensive services. Please reference: www.VistaDelMar.org or contact: 310-836-1223.
