The Power Of Friendship: Friendship Circle Unites

By Chanie Hertz

With an impressive base of over 14,000 volunteers, 82 chapters, and multiple engaging and supportive programs, Friendship Circle helps service over 7,500 individuals with special needs and their families globally. They offer a variety of programs for toddlers, children, and adults. Over the years their programs have expanded to fit the specific needs of the community.

At Judaica Circle, participants create projects, learn about the parashah, daven together, and enhance their week through personalized curriculum—similar to a weekly Hebrew School but at an individualized pace.

Justin Berman, a senior at HAFTR High School, highlights the special nature of another program, Kugel and Kumzitz, by explaining, “It’s not just a kid with his counselor. At Kugel and Kumzitz everyone is together, we are all one group.”

Friendship Circle offers other unique programs such as Sunday Circle, Friends at Home, Fun & Fitness, Mom’s Night Out, Girls Dance, End of Summer/ Winter Camp, Hama’agel, Shabbat Circle, Holiday Programming, Birthday Bash and T-YAD for teens and young adults. Friendship Circle’s local base is in the Chabad of the Five Towns and is run by Friendship Circle Director Batsheva Borenstein, Program Director and Volunteer Coordinator Hadassah Fertig Kaplan, and Program Leaders Peri Siff, Chani Rabinow, and Harrison Schwartz.

Friendship Circle is built on the principle of “v’ahavta l’reyacha kamocha”—“love your fellow as yourself.” They firmly believe that friends are not a luxury but a necessity. Volunteers and individuals with disabilities form personal connections that bond them beyond a once a week or once a month connection. In many cases these pairs create a friendship that extends beyond the walls of the program and lasts a lifetime.

The Friends at Home volunteers find this program to be like no other because there is no connection and closeness like spending every week in someone’s house. Friendship Circle takes pride in the fact that they can meet each person at what they need. Each program and each partnership is individualized so that every volunteer, participant, and family can gain the most out of their experience.

Friendship Circle Director Batsheva Borenstein notes how beautiful it is “to see kids’ faces light up when they drive by Chabad because they want to see their friends.” She attributes this excitement to Friendship Circle being the piece of friendship, fun, and unconditional acceptance.

Labels are for cans, not for people, and we all have the same neshamah which is what connects here at Friendship Circle.

For many individuals with special needs, there can be an extra sense of loneliness. These programs help to fill their calendars and give them an event to look forward to. It’s quite literally a star on their calendar that they can count down to. Whether it’s programming or having a volunteer come over to play with them, it adds something more to be excited for and provides a warm, meaningful connection.

Many high schoolers take advantage of Friendship Circle’s volunteer opportunities but adults can also volunteer. There are unique ways for everyone to give back and be a part of this incredible organization. Alumni often call the Friendship Circle staff to express how much they gained from their volunteer experience. Volunteers become more comfortable with the special needs population, develop a love and strong connection with their friends, alter their outlook on how they see the world, learn responsibility and accountability, and some even go into different fields in college because of something they saw or encountered. Michoel Groyer, a senior at Rambam Mesivta, finds Friendship Circle “so incredible, so fulfilling” and a meaningful addition to his week.

Many volunteers find Friendship Circle to be one of their best high school experiences and Ayala Glicksman, a senior at Central, would agree. Alyssa has loved being part of Friendship Circle for the past four years, and she describes it as a truly impactful experience. She started by doing just one activity, but as she continued, she grew to love it more as she saw the light and happiness it brings to everyone who comes.

“I work with people of all ages, and it’s really nice to see how everyone is affected, not just one particular group. I think it’s something truly special,” she explained. “As I’ve become more involved, I find myself even more excited to participate. It’s such a wonderful environment, and I look forward to being here more than anything else.”

Friendship Circle hopes to continue providing these experiences and programming. They are supported by their once-a-year fundraiser and had their ‘Paint The Town’ fundraiser this past month. You can donate to this wonderful organization at FC5Towns.com/fcdonate.