Spiritual homecoming
The year Dani turned eight proved to be a
milestone for the Laszlo family. Kathy
gave birth to twins. Dani began to verbalise actual words, the result of years of
painstaking effort. But it was a third
event that profoundly altered Kathy’s
personal trajectory. She recalls the first
Shabbos she brought Dani and the twins
to Toronto’s Aish HaTorah Centre: “Dani
was absolutely mesmerised by the davening. He literally clung to his siddur. He did
not want to leave.” From then on, the
Laszlos made sure to attend shul on a
weekly basis. One Shabbos, Kathy began
to do what she had rarely done before:
she picked up a siddur and prayed.
It was the same congregation that later
saw Dani celebrating his barmitzvah in
front of 150 guests, who included therapists, doctors, and friends – all those who
impacted his life so significantly. “When
he read his barmitzvah portion and gave
his speech, there were no words to express the extreme gratitude we felt to G-d
and the community,” Kathy remembers.
It seemed almost natural that she concretised those feelings of gratitude with the
decision to become Shabbat observant.
This stalwart determination and commitment, regardless of personal or financial
consequences, is what marks Kathy as one
of Toronto’s most formidable advocates for
the rights of children and young adults with
developmental challenges. Her role as advocate grew and changed along with her son.
After graduating from Zareinu, Dani became one of 20 special-needs