I try not to be biased, but I had my doubts about hiring Haim. His placement counselor assured me that he would be a good, reliable worker. But I had never had a mentally handicapped employee and wasn’t sure I wanted one. I wasn’t sure how my customers would react to Haim. He was short, a little dumpy with the smooth facial features and thick-tongued speech of Downs Syndrome. I wasn’t worried about most of my customers because they don’t generally care who arranges tables as long as the meatloaf platter is good and the pies are homemade. The truck drivers were the ones who concerned me; the mouthy college kids traveling to school; the yuppie snobs who secretly polish their silverware with their napkins for fear of catching some dreaded “truck stop germ” the pairs of white-shirted business men on expense accounts who think every truck stop waitress wants to be flirted with. I knew those people would be uncomfortable around Haim so I closely watched him for the first few weeks.

I shouldn’t have worried. After the first week, Haim had my staff wrapped around his stubby little finger, and within a month my truck regulars had adopted him as their official truck stop mascot.

After that, I really didn’t care what the rest of the customers thought of him. He was like a 21-year-old in blue jeans and Nikes, eager to laugh and eager to please, but fierce in his attention to his duties. Every salt and pepper shaker was exactly in its place, not a bread crumb or coffee spill was visible when Haim got done with the table.

Our only problem was persuading him to wait to clean a table until after the customers were finished. He would hover in the background, shifting his weight from one foot to the other, scanning the dining room until a table was empty. Then he would scurry to the empty table and carefully bus dishes and glasses onto cart and meticulously wipe the table up with a practiced flourish of his rag. If he thought a customer was watching, his brow would pucker with added concentration. He took pride in doing his job exactly right, and you had to love how hard he tried to please each and every person he met.

Haim, is the Best worker I ever hired.

 

Moshe Azulay

Pizza Patza. Tel Aviv

26 March 2006

 

 

 

Akim Herzeliya Sheltered Workshop

"Michael makes it known that he just wants to be like everyone else. He's on the same working timetable as everyone else and included in the same things in the workshop.

He knows that some of the work he is given, and the expectations of work, might be different. but as far as joining in all work activities and being part of the workshop it's just what he expects."

"It was the best year that Michael had ever had in his life because he was able to enjoy doing what other friends do. Initially there was a lot of hesitation from the sheltered workshop. However we were very fortunate that we had a Director who was very open and a social worker who was prepared to give it a go.

Attitudes changed dramatically in the first year. Although they were initially very afraid, they soon realized that he had different gifts and talents and that Michael was an individual who had a personality, and who had the same likes and dislikes as other youngsters of his own age. It was a learning curve for the whole workshopl!

Thanks to Akim Israel Michael made the journey."

 

Zion Cohen

Michael's Father