A Message on the 10th Yartzheit of Steven Josselson Z”L

Earlier today, I delivered a speech to honor my father, Steven Josselson Z”L to staff at Camp Ramah in Nyack. Please read what I shared below:

Today marks ten years since the passing of my father, Steve. For those of you who didn’t get to meet him, he was a man devoted to kindness and his family. For years he was very sick, and so, instead of working full time he committed to spending his time with his two kids, me and Ben.

While we didn’t get to know him for long, the time we spent will stick with me forever. After an OT or speech appointment he would take me to Barnes and Noble, the one in the palisades mall many of you will pass this summer. While most parents would bring their kids to a GameStop or a Toy Store, he brought me there because he loved to read and he wanted me to love it too. He bought all of the books I wanted: at the time, mostly biographies of presidents. He also wanted to educate me on history. I vividly recall conversations we had, when I was seven years old, on Charles Darwin, The Hindenberg Disaster and Aircraft Logistics. He was a unique person.

Unfortunately, he passed away in the summer of 2015. My world was shaken. That’s where Ramah came in. A week after his funeral, I went to the Migrash. That summer reminded me what my father would want me to do: to enjoy every moment and learn what I can in the time I have.

Like my father, I am Autistic. As a camper at Camp Ramah in the Poconos he benefited from staff and campers who “got him”, who gave him space, time and attention. He wanted to make sure I got the same experience in my Jewish education. He loved sending me to Camp Ramah in Nyack and dreamed of sending me to his home, Camp Ramah in the Poconos. He convinced my mom to send me to Jewish Day School and he worked tirelessly to talk

with teachers and hanchala about my needs. His advocacy, has inspired me to be an advocate. Today, with him in mind, I speak with various groups on Autism, consult for various organisations and host the first ever podcast focused on disability within the Jewish community.

This afternoon, you’ll get an opportunity to engage in a session with Sarah Parkes, an experienced neurodiversity inclusion professional, who among other titles, can claim that of being a recent guest on my podcast. I won’t be there since it is a difficult day for me, but please, show up. You see, inclusion saves lives. The support I received at Nyack after my father’s death I firmly believe saved my life. I’m not alone in that matter. Unfortunately, there are spaces that don’t invest in neurodiversity inclusion, and neurodiverse people suffer, some commit suicide from the exclusion and bullying they may endure. I believe, and I continue to believe, that Ramah Nyack will serve as the gold standard of what my father believed in. Thank you in advance for honoring my father’s memory and continuing that tradition this afternoon.