Naomi Miller - Deaf Awareness Lectures

This page was last updated on: 3/7/2010

Naomi Miller and her husband Harvey have two sons, Philip and Joshua. Philip, the eldest, is deaf. During Philip's early years, Naomi and Harvey became co-founders of Parents for Deaf Awareness, Inc. (PDA), a New Jersey state-wide non-profit support, educational and advocacy group. PDA soon grew to include not only parents, but also deaf adults, adult children and siblings of the Deaf, teachers of the Deaf, audiologists, physicians, and many others concerned about Deaf rights.

Realizing the lack of accessibility for the Deaf within the Jewish community, Naomi also founded the Jewish Deaf and Hearing Impaired Council, Inc. (JDHIC), a non-profit New Jersey organization whose goals include raising Deaf awareness within the Jewish community and raising monies to fund Sign Language interpreters, real time captioning, and accessibility devices. Grants are awarded to Jewish institutions to serve their Jewish constituents and to Jewish deaf individuals so that they can enjoy and be included in community programs and family weddings, B'nai Mitzvah and other special Jewish occasions.

As a professional singer, Naomi has woven songs in "Sign" into her repertoire and all of her shows can be simultaneously interpreted into Sign Language for members of the audience who might be Deaf. Naomi's cabaret shows in New York are almost always interpreted. Naomi has had the privilege of performing for the National Congress of Jewish Deaf and other Deaf organizations.

As a teacher and lecturer, Naomi has spread Deaf awareness to students, adults, congregations, and civic groups through power point presentations, song, Sign,Language, role playing, and interactive activities - including a signing chicken! Naomi has served as "Religious School Scholar in Residence" at many different Jewish and Christian day and afternoon programs.

Naomi Miller - Touching Your Heart with Music