Howard Blas

“My work in the field of Jewish special needs camping and education has made me keenly aware of the feelings of isolation and disconnect people with special needs often feel. My goal is to continue to develop ways to engage campers and family members all year round, to utilize technology to benefit campers and professionals, to train others, and to contribute to the growing body of literature in this field.”

While Howard’s entire professional career has been in the Jewish disabilities world, things may have been different had it not been for the summer of 1984. That summer, between Howard’s freshman and sophomore year of college, he worked at Camp Ramah in New England. “Although I had planned to work in the kitchen, the Assistant Director asked me to work as a counselor in the Tikvah Program, serving campers with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Little did I know that this experience would change my life. I observed our campers learning about Israel, singing songs, and dancing—just like every other member of the Ramah community—simply by being immersed in a powerful, all-encompassing Jewish learning and living environment,” he said.

Howard continued to work with children and families during graduate school, as an early childhood/family educator at the Park Avenue Synagogue, and reflected that his “experience working with young children and their parents, coupled with my classroom teaching, were constant reminders that each learner requires and deserves a teaching approach geared toward his or her learning style and temperament.”

In 2011, Howard became the Special Needs Consultant to the National Ramah Commission. In addition to his work with Ramah, Howard has served in a leadership capacity in Jewish communal settings across the United States, supporting lay leaders and professional staff in the creation of disabilities programs and policies. He consults with camps, schools, and Jewish educational institutions as they strive to include students with disabilities. He continues to teach Jewish Studies to learners with diverse learning styles and prepares students with a wide range of disabilities for b’nai mitzvah. Through webinars and presentations at Limmud and various conferences, Howard teaches teachers about b’nai mitzvah for diverse learners. 

Howard earned a B.A. from Washington University, an M.S.W. from the Columbia University School of Social Work, and an M.A. in Special Education from Bank Street College of Education. He also earned a Certificate in Post-Masters Training in Family Therapy from Family Studies, Inc.

2018 Update:

Howard is currently visiting and researching businesses in the United States which offer innovative employment opportunities for people with disabilities. The results of his study will be shared later this year.