I finally went into a conservative synagogue and davened there and felt very accepted. The Rabbi walked me part of the way home since I walked all the way to Woodmere from Far Rockaway and had a very nice conversation with him. I tried the Orthodox minyan downstairs first but I got extremely uncomfortable when a special needs person that very likely has autism quickly walked away from me and ignored me when I started talking about my autism and asked about other people with autism. That person was saying Good Shabbos to everyone he saw but ignored me all because I talked about autism. This was actually a modern orthodox synagogue. I couldn’t take it anymore and went upstairs to the Traditional Conservative minyan where I was very welcome there. There was even someone my age that I shook hands with and said Shabbat Sholom to him after the prayer service. People in conservative synagogues actually know what autism really is and have fully fledged inclusion within the synagogue itself, unlike orthodoxy, which has not-so-committed special needs programs with somewhat inclusion where I have to go out of my way for. I got my fourth aliyah there Shabbat morning and the Rabbi said on the microphone right before my aliyah “I would like to introduce you to Ephraim Becker who’s joining us today for services and that you shouldn’t hesitate to go over to him“. Never have I had such acceptance before in my life. Yachad is probably the most or it’s said to be the most inclusive environment but I have to go out of my way for it and I’ve never really been included in anything there. In fact, people gave me a hard time in the high school, called IVDU Upper School, and Camp Chaverim for talking about my autism. Orthodox people frown upon mental and developmental health and I just have to accept that.
P.S: That Modern Orthodox minyan downstairs the people there said they accept everyone.
P.S: That Modern Orthodox minyan downstairs the people there said they accept everyone.