June 1, 2008
Source: The Boston Globe
http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/06/01/faith_in_a_nonverbal_world/
Ten or 15 years ago, Joshua Aaron Krane probably would not have received this warm bar mitzvah welcome into the Jewish community.
Josh is autistic and nonverbal, so the traditional Jewish coming-of-age ceremony for 13-year-old boys and girls - more than hour of prayer, song, and ancient ritual performed in Hebrew, requiring years of preparation and study - would have been out of the question.
The Chestnut Hill teen, one of a set of triplets, might have known the ritual only through the experiences of his brother, Daniel, and sister, Rebecca, who celebrate their own big day later this month.
But times and technology have changed.