This year at Northwest Yeshiva High School, senior Elianna Rothstein created an American Sign Language (ASL) and Deaf Culture club. Fifteen students across all grades now learn ASL and about the everyday life of the deaf community.
Rothstein was inspired by a show she watched called Switched at Birth, which features a deaf character and deaf actors.
“The main theme in the show was the deaf community, the struggles they had, and sign language,” said Rothstein. “I thought it was really interesting, especially because I never knew so much about it.”
After finishing Switched at Birth, Rothstein took an online ASL course. After completing an introduction course, she wanted to do more.
“I talked to a lot of students and teachers, and I saw that there was a big interest for people to learn more about ASL, so I decided to create a place where students can learn the language and explore the culture and life for deaf people,” she said.
Rothstein reached out to students at NYHS in person and via text to gauge interest in the club. After hearing back from many interested students, she started an ASL club at school to spread awareness.
“ASL is just such an important skill to have, especially because acceptance of deaf people, in my opinion, has become more acknowledged,” senior Ariana Balkany, a club member, said.
Junior Keira Birk was interested for another reason. She volunteers with The Friendship Circle, which pairs teens with kids with special needs. “I see some of the kids there using sign language so I think it’s important for me to learn it too,” she said.
The club meets every other Wednesday at school during lunch. At meetings, club members learn basic sign language through interactive activities and videos, listen to guest speakers, and discuss topics in the deaf community. On the weeks that there aren’t meetings, Rothstein sends out a newsletter that contains articles, videos, and other resources to help club members learn.
The ASL club is also adding a Jewish twist to its learning objective. The club partly focuses on deaf people within Judaism and various Jewish deaf organizations, institutions, and halachot correlating to how deaf Jews adhere to certain mitzvot (Jewish commandments). Rabbi Naftali Rothstein, head of Judaics and school rabbi, joined the ASL club for lunch on December 18 to teach about hearing aid devices and how they may be used for hearing mitzvot.
“I’m a senior, so this is going to be my first and last year leading the ASL club,” said Elianna Rothstein. “Even if this club isn’t continued by a younger student at the school, I am happy that everyone has at least one year to learn about the deaf community and culture.”
