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Talking About Disability with Elementary-Aged Kids: A Panel Conversation
Learning from Lived Experience
Join Gateways during Jewish Disability Awareness, Acceptance, and Inclusion Month (JDAIM) for a thoughtful panel conversation on how to engage elementary-aged children in meaningful, age-appropriate discussions about disability and difference.
How we talk about disability in the elementary years shapes how children understand difference, inclusion, and respect. Because these conversations can feel uncomfortable or high-stakes, adults often gloss over or avoid them altogether, which leaves children without guidance. This session will focus on practical, values-aligned ways to encourage curiosity and help children make sense of what they notice in the world around them.
The panel will be facilitated by Tali Cohen Carrus, creator of the Shiluv: More than Disability Awareness Program. Panelists who bring both lived experience of disability and professional experience teaching about disability will discuss how to introduce these topics to young learners, the questions children ask, and how adults can respond with clarity and confidence. The conversation will address both visible and invisible disabilities, exploring how to help children navigate everyday peer dynamics from curiosity to teasing, social differences, and belonging.
In this workshop, participants will explore:
- Developmentally appropriate ways to talk about disability with elementary-aged students
- How to respond to children’s questions openly and respectfully without reinforcing stigma
- Strategies for navigating tricky social dynamics and fostering safe, inclusive spaces
- Language and practices that support a culture of belonging
- Ideas for follow-up and continuing the conversation at school and at home
Designed for Jewish educators and parents, this virtual panel offers practical tools and shared frameworks to support ongoing, meaningful conversations about disability that promote understanding, respect, and belonging across classroom and family life.
About Our Panelists
Moderator: Tali Cohen Carrus
Tali is passionate about inclusive Jewish Education and has worked with youth with and without disabilities in a variety of contexts including schools, synagogues, and summer camps. She has worked extensively as a disability inclusion consultant, partnering with Jewish organizations to improve their capacity to support and meaningfully include all members of the community. Tali holds an M.S.Ed in General and Special Education from Bank Street Graduate School and is a certified DIR/Floortime play therapist. In addition, she received a certificate in Advanced Jewish Studies/Day School Education from the Pardes Center for Jewish Educators and is an alumna of the Wexner Graduate Fellowship/Davidson Scholarship.
Panelist: Ari Levitt
Ari Levitt, a proud graduate of the Gateways Jewish Education program, is a passionate self-advocate from the Greater Boston area. Known for his friendly demeanor and strong work ethic, Ari works at Whole Foods as an in-store shopper. As someone with autism, Ari brings a unique perspective to his role as a Shiluv Program speaker in Jewish day schools and other educational settings. He reflects on his experiences with friends, family, school, and the broader Jewish community, answering students’ questions with profound insights. His engaging discussions often inspire students to proudly share their own diagnoses, strengths, and challenges, fostering a culture of understanding and empowerment.
Panelist: Carol Steinberg
Carol has been a trial attorney for 40 years, has had multiple sclerosis for 30, and has been a wheelchair-user for 21. She is a writer and speaker, including in the Shiluv Program with Gateways, and is a disability activist, having served as chair and long-term member of the board of the Disability Law Center, past long-term member of the Architectural Access Board and present member of its regulations subcommittee, and a member of a number of other organizations. She enjoys spending time with her family, which consists of her husband, two grown daughters and their spouses, and her two grandchildren; tutoring schoolkids; the natural world; exercising at the Y; and traveling.
Panelist: Hanna Levy-Moonshine
Hanna is a third grade teacher and team lead at Schechter Boston. This is Hanna’s ninth year at Schechter. She is a Shiluv Fellowship alum and has been teaching the Shiluv curriculum in her classroom for several years. Hanna was born and raised in Israel, and received her Bachelor’s degree in Economics and Business from Ben Gurion University. After a few years of working in the Pharmaceutical industry, Hanna decided to change her career and started teaching computers in a rehabilitation center for severely disabled adults. Hanna and her family moved to the Greater Boston area fifteen years ago, where Hanna taught Hebrew in a few Jewish day schools (New England Hebrew Academy and Kehillah Schechter Academy), a few after school programs, and served as the principal of the Israeli School of Lexington for four years. Hanna lives in Needham with her husband, four kids and a cute puppy.