About Us
The Beth Tikvah Foundation of Hamilton was founded in 1990. By August of 1991, the Beth Tikvah Foundation opened a six (6) bedroom home in the Westdale area of Hamilton. The need for specialized accommodations for individuals with developmental disabilities was great and continues to be great. Presently Beth Tikvah operates 1 group living residence, 5 intensive support residence, 3 supported independent living residence, supports 3 other individuals within their own homes through supported independent living and provides Passport Funding Supports. In a multi-cultural community, the Beth Tikvah Foundation of Hamilton continues to be the only agency providing services to individuals with a focus on the individual’s culture, religion and history that is not the mainstream Christian Anglo-Saxon. The Beth Tikvah residences are Orthodox Jewish homes that strictly follows the rules of kashrut, but one does not have to be Jewish to live or work there. The Beth Tikvah Foundation of Hamilton has developed an expertise in providing services to individuals with developmental disabilities with cultural sensitivity as the primary focus of service delivery. In the last dozen or so years it has built a reputation in the community as providing an extremely high standard of services.
Judaic Values
What makes Beth Tikvah Foundation of Hamilton unique is our emphasis on providing Judaic programming and a Jewish environment for individuals accessing our services. This encourages individuals to develop spiritually and grow to feel a connection and sense of belonging to their roots, culture and community.
There are no requirements for staff or volunteers at Beth Tikvah to be Jewish or to have any previous knowledge of Judaism. However, there is a requirement for all Beth Tikvah staff and volunteers working with Jewish clients, to have an open mind with respect to learning about Judaism. It is essential, as well, to keep in mind that because we are a faith-based agency, we recognize the importance of helping individuals of all faiths touch base with their roots, culture and heritage. Therefore, staff and volunteers should do their part in assisting individuals of all faiths and cultures to connect with their heritage, either by assisting attendance at their various places of worship, or cultural centers, or by encouraging clients to display their religious/cultural symbols in their private spaces.
There are a number of religious practices that occur in Beth Tikvah’s homes. Individuals who receive supports from Beth Tikvah are expected to respect these practices and abide by the following:
- All Beth Tikvah-owned properties are kept kosher.
- During religious holidays and especially during the Shabbat, there will be certain recommendations around programming in residential settings that must be considered
- The performance of Sabbath rituals will be observed in Beth Tikvah’s homes
- All agency-sponsored activities will observe kosher dietary laws.
Direct Funding
Beth Tikvah Foundation of Hamilton will work with families to administer the direct funding they receive from the Passport Supports Program. We will work with you to manage your funding, as well you can also use your funding to purchase service from Beth Tikvah Foundation of Hamilton. Please contact Chris Barone at 905-523-0411 ext. 308, cbarone@bethtikvahhamilton.org or Anna Fischer at 905-523-0411 ext. 311, af@bethtikvahhamilton.org, if you would like to discuss your direct funding and learn more about how we could help.
