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Signing the Shema 

JL;DR SUMMARY Rabbi Darby Leigh, a Deaf rabbi, discusses the importance of inclusivity in interpreting Jewish prayers, and how traditional interpretations of the Shema prayer can unintentionally alienate the Deaf community. A way out west there was a fella, fella I want to tell you about, fella by the name of Jeff Lebowski. At least, that was the handle his lovin' parents gave him, but he never had much use for it himself. This Lebowski, he called himself the Dude. Now, Dude, that's a name no one would self-apply where I come from. But then, there was a lot about the Dude that didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. And a lot about where he lived, likewise. But then again, maybe that's why I found the place s'durned innarestin'.

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Tags

AccessibilityCommunityInclusionJewish PrayerShemaJewish RitualDeaf CommunityInterpretationRabbi Darby LeighAsl

Places mentioned

Concord, Massachusetts, United States
"Its been a watchword of Jewish peoplehood, of Jewish communal observance, for thousands of years, said Rabbi Darby Leigh, of Kerem Shalom, a congregation in Concord, Massachusetts."
New York City, New York, United States
"Ashley P. Taylor is a journalist, writer, and teacher in New York City."

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Retrieved 2026-03-19 05:30:34 UTC
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