The Jewish Autism Network provides advocacy, workshops, trainings, events, and educational opportunities for autistic individuals, their families and caregivers, allies, the systems they engage with, and the broader Jewish community.
Rooted in lived experience, we champion neuro affirmation, inclusivity, and respect for every person’s unique journey. While progress has been made in accessibility for disabled Jews, challenges remain. We believe in honest, restorative conversations with a dash of chutzpah, and we welcome your strength-based feedback.
Simcha chronicled his journey from a dad in denial to a dadvocate in a viral Tablet Magazine piece that brought The New York Times to his kitchen table. Along the way, we uncovered unspoken stigmas and our own neurodivergence.
A chance meeting with Mati Boulakia Bortnick, the #ActuallyAutistic Coach, grew into a partnership that informs many of our workshops and spaces. Mati, like Simcha, shares a love of Oasis and a commitment to authenticity. Honest conversations can be messy, but they are essential.
Today, Simcha works full time in advocacy, training family peer advocates, serving as Community Engagement and Inclusion Coordinator at Families Together in NYS, and shaping statewide policy in Albany. He meets with commissioners and policymakers to ensure those with lived experience have a real seat at the table.
