Let’s All Dance a Hora!

Los Angeles, CA – A very special wedding is taking place on June 29, 2014, in Woodland Hills, between two wonderful, caring, and accomplished individuals – each of whom has Down’s syndrome.

Danielle Magady, from Los Angeles, and Shlomo Myers, from Chicago, met through a traditional shadchan 2 years ago and got engaged last October. After the wedding, they will be living in the Pico-Robertson area, a few blocks from Danielle’s parents. Danielle works at Yeshiva Aharon Yaakov Ohr Eliyahu Academy as a pre-school aide and Shlomo will be working at Maimonides as a physical education assistant.

For the Los Angeles Jewish community, this occasion is truly a celebration of inclusion and  unity. Two individuals with Down’s syndrome will be participating as in Jewish life, working at Jewish schools, and celebrating chagim andShabbat – as a couple, taking the next step in life.

 Last summer, Danielle she and Shlomo worked at ETTA’s summer program, Summer@ETTA, as assistant counselors. It was an opportunity for them to learn more about each other and gain life skills in the warm, supportive ETTA environment. As they embark on married life together, ETTA is the agency that will support their everyday life: cooking, shopping, transportation, appointments and more, with one-to-one coaches through ETTA’s Supported Living Skills service.

“This dream would not be possible without ETTA,” says Terry Magady, Danielle’s father. “ETTA understands that Danielle and Shlomo are wonderful, capable young adults who look forward to building a life together, with the necessary supports… ETTA has been a part of Danielle’s life since she was five years old, and we are so happy, and grateful, that ETTA is here for her future, too.”

 “I’ve known Danielle since she was born. She and her parents and family are an inspiration to us and the entire community,” says Dr. Michael Held, Executive Director of ETTA. “It is ETTA’s privilege to provide services to Danielle and Shlomo as they enter their future. The world is changing, and we are proud to be at the vanguard of that change.”

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ETTA, founded in 1993 in Los Angeles, California, serves people with developmental disabilities and their families, and is one of the premier providers of such services on the West Coast. ETTA’s mission is to help people with developmental disabilities, and the families who love them, to live fully enriched and active lives as members of the Los Angeles Jewish community. Learn more at www.etta.org