by Jill Huber
NJJN Bureau Chief/Monmouth

March 17, 2009

The Friendship Circle — which provides support to families of children with special needs — is now seeking to enable some of its young clients to have an experience in Israel.

This summer, four members of the Monmouth County Friendship Circle, which is headquartered at the Chabad House of Western Monmouth County in Manalapan, may visit Israel as part of a special Friendship Circle Taglit- Birthright Israel project.

The four local teens are among 40 Friendship Circle members throughout North America who have applied for the excursion, which is tentatively scheduled for July 5-15. Although the application drive for the trip officially closed on March 4, registration may be reopened, according to Chana’le Wolosow of Morganville, director of the local Friendship Circle chapter. (All applicants must be between the ages of 18 and 26.)

The first Friendship Circle/Birthright Israel trip took place last year, when members of Friendship Circle International, whose headquarters are in Brooklyn, became aware that any previous trips for special-needs Jewish teens were “watered down” and focused on a “disabled Israel,” Noach Pawliger, of FC International, told NJ Jewish News.

“Rather than focusing on how they can fit in as disabled people, we wanted to focus on their abilities and give them opportunities for achievement, growth, and connection with peers, their Judaism, and the land,” said Pawliger, who lives in New York.

He said that when he voiced his concerns to his colleagues, their response was enthusiastic: If he would work with them, Pawliger said they told him, FC International would make it happen.

As a result, Friendship Circle teens from throughout North America traveled to the Jewish state in 2008. Late last year, FC International notified FC groups that a 2009 trip was in the planning stages, and the local group began to circulate the news and create an application process, Wolosow said.

The trip will be sponsored by the Friendship Circle and Birthright Israel — which offers free 10-day trips to Israel for Jewish youth — and there will be no cost to the Friendship Circle participants. Funding for Birthright trips comes from the Israeli government; North American Jewish federations, including the Jewish Federation of Monmouth County; and private philanthropists.

‘Value of giving’

As in 2008, medical personnel and FC volunteers will travel with the teens, some of whom have Down’s syndrome, Asperger’s, and other social and developmental challenges. The decision as to which volunteers will accompany the group will be determined by FC International and Birthright, Wolosow said, adding that several local volunteers may be among those selected.

The county circle is part of FC International, which pairs teenage volunteers and special-needs children to interact in their homes on a weekly basis. They bring friendship and a sense of community and Jewish heritage along with them, said Wolosow.

“The Friendship Circle offers an opportunity for teenagers to connect with these special children,” Wolosow said. “The teen volunteers learn the value of giving and what it means to make a difference in a child’s life, while the children look forward to the visits and the chance to spend time with their new friends.”

The visits also provide a respite for the families of the children, along with the opportunity of seeing them become a part of a community, she added.

“The true beauty of the circle is how the children and volunteers link together to form a seamless circle of friendship,” said Wolosow. “Everyone is enriched through shared experiences.”

All volunteers take part in an orientation program before they first visit the youngsters. Occupational therapists, other professionals, and some of the parents of Friendship Circle children speak with the volunteers before the initial visits. The volunteers also receive toys and activity guides to help them entertain their young friends.

In addition to the home visits, the children also visit the Chabad House in Manalapan for a host of activities, including music, arts and crafts, story-telling, sports activities, and holiday discussions and celebrations. Professional therapists are present to assist the volunteers and all the programs concentrate on the occupational and physical therapy needs of the children, Wolosow said.

Excitement about the upcoming trip continues to build, she said.

“Taglit-Birthright worked with us to make this trip happen, and the teens will benefit the most,” said Wolosow. “Their parents are elated that their children will have this opportunity to see the Jewish homeland.”

Additional information about the trip is available from the local Friendship Circle office at 732-536-2319.

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