page_title: Kalman Samuels
section_title: Early life
hierarchical_section_title: Kalman Samuels / Early life
caption_attribution_description: English: Kalman High School Grad
context_page_description: Kalman Samuels is the founder of Shalva, the Israel Association for the Care and Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities. Non-denominational and free of charge, Shalva offers services to individuals with disabilities from infancy to adulthood and their families. Shalva provides a range of therapies, inclusive educational frameworks, recreational activities, vocational training as well as respite and family support. Shalva advocates for the inclusion of persons with disabilities through employment programs, community initiatives, and research. Samuels published a personal memoir in May 2020 called "Dreams Never Dreamed" telling the story of his personal journey of self-discovery and the establishment of Shalva.
context_section_description: Kalman was raised in a non-observant Jewish home in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada where he attended Sir Winston Churchill High School. Upon his graduation in 1969 he was given academic and basketball scholarships to the University of British Columbia. After his first year studying philosophy he traveled Europe with plans to undergo coursework in France. However his mother requested that he stop in Israel to visit relatives. Enamored with Jewish culture and heritage, he cancelled the trip to France and enrolled in several yeshivot, and in 1977 he received his rabbinical ordination.
caption: Kalman Samuels High School Yearbook picture
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