Inclusion and the Power of the Individual in the Teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe

Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, The Lubavitcher Rebbe, of righteous memory, was a pioneer in inclusion. At a time when exclusion was the norm, when people with disabilities were essentially locked out of "mainstream" schools, the workforce, and society at large, when families with loved ones who were not deemed "typical" often splintered due to social pressures and stigma, the Rebbe advocated and called for inclusion. With love, compassion, and respect, the Rebbe drew in those whom society all too often pushed away. Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of the Rebbe's approach to inclusion was how perfectly natural it was to him. The Rebbe's call for inclusion did not result from the latest medical studies, societal shifts, or external pressures; it came from within. Inclusion and the Power of the Individual tells a remarkable story of the Rebbe's perspective on, and advocacy for, inclusion by recounting his teachings, writings, and conversations on this topic throughout the four decades of his public leadership of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement. The Rebbe's message remained steadfast and unwaivering: Every single human being is worthy of dignity, respect, love, and inclusion. These are the accounts of the Rebbe's call for inclusion.