While we practice disability inclusion all year at JF&CS, in February, we do it with kugel!
Abby Franz, Community Advocacy Manager with Intellectual & Developmental Disability Services, started the annual JF&CS Kugel Cookoff as a fun way to educate staff and community members about the disability community, involve our clients, and bond over uniquely Jewish comfort food. Staff are invited to bring their best kugel which the clients taste and judge, while Abby delivers an engaging presentation. Afterward, the judges crown the King or Queen of Kugel, and both staff and clients enjoy the leftovers together.
It’s almost like a reality TV show: competition, a compelling story, special guests — and this year, there was even a surprise rose ceremony.
The Importance of Inclusion
The Kugel Cookoff coincides with Jewish Disability Awareness, Acceptance, and Inclusion Month (JDAIM), a grassroots effort to connect disability awareness to the Jewish world. The cookoff started a few years ago because “I’d been seeing a lot of the curiosity of our staff members, people wanting to know what happens in IndependenceWORKS or asking about clients they saw around the agency,” said Abby. “I think people can be apprehensive to be curious about our population because they don’t want to be offensive. I understand that, but being curious is the beginning of learning.”
The event serves as a safe space for staff to learn. This year’s presentation included a look at the history of discrimination against Jewish people with disabilities, from the Holocaust to present day. Abby encouraged staff to advocate for inclusion, avoid harmful language, and make real connections with people with disabilities.
“This is a group that has endured and persevered and is, frankly, really cool,” says Abby, smiling. “I hope when people leave the presentation, they see our clients through a different lens: as a group of people who has faced adversity, and a group that has its own culture and history just like any other minority group. I hope people leave asking, ‘where do I fit in with this world, and how can I connect?’”
JF&CS employees Devyn Crawly (right) and Leah Givarz earned second and third places in the Kugel Cookoff, respectively.
When it came to involving the clients with the event, Abby wanted them to be in charge. “Even in the most inclusive environment, our clients have people controlling so many aspects of their lives, so this was a place where we could give them control by making them the judges and putting the reins in their hands.”
“They’re tough,” she laughs. “It doesn’t matter if it’s your bubbe’s 60-year-old kugel recipe, it doesn’t matter if you’re the CEO, they will judge your kugel how they see fit.”
A Surprise White Rose Ceremony
The Kugel crown wasn’t the only award given that day. To her great surprise, Abby was presented with recognition from the prestigious White Rose Society, after being unknowingly nominated by her wife Savannah. Julie Rau, Executive Director of the Atlanta chapter, was on hand to present Abby with the stunning gift. She joins the company of government officials, faith leaders, celebrities and activists in receiving this honor.
(L-R) Julie Rau, Executive Director of The White Rose Society, Savannah, and Abby.
The creative approach of the Kugel Cookoff blended fun, food, and education while fostering connections within the community, and you’re invited to feel that connection firsthand by joining us for The Tasting Experience on May 1st! This highly anticipated culinary event offers a simple yet impactful way to become an advocate for inclusion, as all proceeds benefit JF&CS’s IDD services. It’s also a favorite highlight of our clients' social calendar.
Enjoy wine and beer from local distributors, savor delicious bites from Atlanta's top restaurants and caterers, and support through our coveted silent auction—knowing your contribution is making a meaningful difference.
