Kerem Shalom’s Rabbi Darby Leigh has co-authored a chapter in A Different Spirit: Creating Meaningful B’nai Mitzvah for Children with Disabilities. The book was released this February (2026), timed to coincide with Jewish Disability Awareness and Inclusion Month.
We are thrilled to announce that Kerem Shalom’s Rabbi Darby Leigh has co-authored a chapter in A Different Spirit: Creating Meaningful B’nai Mitzvah for Children with Disabilities, written alongside his sister. This first-of-its-kind resource guide for inclusive b’nai mitzvah celebrations was released this month in honor of Jewish Disability Awareness, Acceptance, and Inclusion Month (JDAIM) and is available through Amazon and Bookshop.org.
Rabbi Darby’s lived experience as a rabbi who is Deaf informs both this work and his previous contribution to Deaf Identity: Exploring New Frontiers (Perspectives on Deafness). The book, by Dr. Irene Leigh (Rabbi Darby’s mother) and Dr. Catherine O’Brien, offers an academic, multicultural perspective on D/deaf identities and experiences.
About A Different Spirit:
Rabbi Darby’s chapter focuses on working with Deaf and hard-of-hearing students to prepare for b’nai mitzvah. The book as a whole provides comprehensive guidance for creating meaningful b’nai mitzvah experiences for differently abled students, offering best practices and practical approaches for inclusive celebrations. Rabbi Darby developed this chapter during a sabbatical, drawing on his expertise to help synagogues better serve all members of their communities.
Recognition and Impact:
“A Different Spirit is a call to conscience, a wellspring of practical wisdom, and a celebration of every child’s sacred worth. It opens our hearts and imaginations to what b’nai mitzvah can—and must—be when we honor every soul as b’tzelem Elohim, created in the image of God. I am inspired and deeply grateful for this indispensable resource.”
—Rabbi Angela Buchdahl, Central Synagogue, New York City
“A Different Spirit is an unparalleled resource for individuals, families, and professionals. And well beyond its practical value, it opens unimagined paths toward full spiritual inclusion and communal membership.”
—Andrés Martin, MD, PhD, Riva Ariella Ritvo Professor, Yale School of Medicine
“This wonderful book is guided by a passionately and uncompromisingly held principle that there is simply no physical, cognitive, or psychological challenge that cannot be met, indeed, that has not already been met….This book is a significant contribution to Jewish life for which we should all be grateful.”
—Rabbi Shai Held, President of the Hadar Institute and author of Judaism Is About Love: Recovering the Heart of Jewish Life