JDCC promotes individual growth, social awareness, productivity and equality, by empowering deaf and hard of hearing persons to be full participants in the Jewish community. The JDCC Board of Directors is composed of persons who are deaf and hard of hearing. The organization relies on grants, subsidized program revenues and contributions to underwrite all its program activities.
The JDCC assists in brits and funerals when requested, but is not associated with any Jewish Community Center in any way.
In the past, JDCC hosted numerous programming and social events, including lectures, international kosher dinners, and community services including havurah (groups) for singles, teens, and families. Cultural activities have involved tours to Jewish museums and providing High Holiday services as well as seders in sign language.
Finding that the primary means of keeping Jewish deaf people in touch with Judaism and JDCC activities was through the JDCC News, a publication reporting on the Jewish deaf community that JDCC printed and distributed six times a year throughout the United States and abroad, JDCC decided to go high-tech in 2008.
In June 2008, JDCC News transitioned to the Internet.
“Instead of waiting to receive a printed newsletter in the mail every other month, you can now go to the JDCC News website any time,” said Sharon Ann Dror, JDCC president, “News stories are posted to the website every month, and we send a monthly digest listing all new stories to the JDCC News email list.”
The JDCC News is the organization’s primary means of communication and way of providing information on its programs.
“In addition to continuing news coverage, feature articles and reports on activities and gatherings on the website, we are excited to continue and even expand the popular “News from Around the World” feature on the website,” she added.
The new JDCC News website allows people to sign up to receive recaps of new features and announcements posted to the website on a regular basis. Interested individuals can also sign up to receive JDCC news alerts. Valuable archival content is now available with search capability and access to all news reports going back to its first issue back in September 1992.
Funding from the Ruth/Allen Ziegler Foundation, a long-time benefactor underwriting distribution of the original JDCC News publication, supported costs of developing and launching the new website.
