Stephanie was born on May 26, 1973 with down syndrome. From the time she was in school, she has always been included in the St. Louis Jewish community. She attended a CAJE Sunday School program at Congregation Shaare Emeth for many years. As a member of Shaare Emeth, she was tutored for her Bat Mitzvah and had a beautiful ceremony at the age of 13.
Stephanie went to J day camps and assisted with younger campers as she got older. She has participated in the J’s Theatre Unlimited program for the past 23 years. She is also a member of the Sunday Friendship Group at the J. She has had a personal trainer twice a week at the J, and is in a group exercise class once a week. She knows everyone and feels very welcome there!
Stephanie currently works as a volunteer three afternoons a week at Covenant Place through Kitchen J. She really enjoys the seniors and loves her job there.
Stephanie’s mother, Eileen, has been on the J Inclusion Committee for many years, and currently serves as the Chair. She is also a member of the Jewish Federation of St. Louis Inclusion Initiative. She feels that Stephanie has had a wonderful experience as part of the Jewish community and hopes to assist many more people with special needs and their families to have this same experience.