Yaldei Shluchei HaRebbe

Meet Zev.

Zev is 15 years old. He loves helping in the kitchen and organizing anything really. His brilliant smile and joyful laugh light up every room he enters. His parents, Aryeh & Leah Lang, are the Chabad Shluchim in Camarillo, CA, a place that I'm also lucky to call my home.

(My wife and I actually moved to Camarillo, because of Zev, assisting the Lang family with community responsibilities as they focused on Zev’s 24hr medical needs, that he had during the first years of his life.)

Zev is non-speaking autistic, and for a long time, nobody recognized the fierce intelligence inside of Zev, until his parents chanced upon several autobiographies written by autistic teenagers and adults after they learned to communicate their inner thoughts and feelings using a communication board.

After introducing Zev to the new communication method, the Langs were shocked to see Zev answering questions by typing single words within six weeks of the new therapy. A few months later he was typing sentences, and at this point Zev is typing paragraphs, sharing with us glimmers of his brilliant mind.

(CLICK HERE to read some of Zev's typed thoughts.) Revealing much of what we never imagined he was capable of.

Over the past year, witnessing Zev’s true abilities, it has become more and more difficult for him to attend a school that does not support his ability to communicate.

Zev’s parents met several times with the local public school to request the support of a communication partner for Zev. Surprisingly and unfortunately the school district said they cannot support Zev in this way at the school he is attending.

It became clear that Zev needs to be in a classroom where the education is age-appropriate for his brilliant mind, and by his side, he needs a trained communication partner to help him access and respond to what he is being taught.

Incredibly, such a place exists. A private school, called Stars Academy in West Hills. It is the best place for Zev and they have accepted him into their very limited capacity for incoming students. Not only does the Stars Academy school provide the structure that can really help Zev thrive and grow, Stars also is familiar with the method of typing to communicate, already having students who are successfully accessing an education with trained communication partners.

This is Zev’s chance for a better future, an opportunity for him to grow into his best self and learn to socialize more easily and meaningfully with others.

Zev has been accepted into the school, but the Langs are unsure how they will cover the huge tuition expense.

The tuition for Stars Academy is $65,000 per year, which includes the full day of support of a communication partner exclusively for Zev. It will also cost $18,000 for transportation, due to the 30-mile distance.

Despite the overwhelming evidence that this school is the ideal fit for Zev, the case to get the School District to agree to fund his tuition there can take many months. Legal counsel has been engaged to assist. While the lawyers are hopeful, they cannot guarantee winning the case.

But the process has only just begun, and by the time the funding is approved- Zev will have missed many months of precious education time.

With no way to produce that kind of money on their own, we are joining the Langs in turning to friends and family and all those whose hearts are moved by Zev and his story. Right now, Zev has a chance for a better future. If we all come together we can help fund Zev's tuition for one year. By next year, we are optimistic that the funding will have been approved.

Thank you for taking the time to read, and for your support!

Should this funding be approved by the local school district, funds raised by this appeal will be donated to help support special needs children.

Zev went from having no voice to inspiring people worldwide. CLICK HERE for a moving article by Rabbi Efrem Goldberg, describing the lessons he took from meeting Zev.

Enjoy this video that was made for Zevs Bar Mitzvah.