Friendship Circle Tours Israel

The Friendship Circle, an organization that assists individuals with special needs within North American Jewish communities, has recently returned from a special a tailor-made Taglit-Birthright Israel program.

The Friendship Circle first partnered with Mayanot Israel four years ago to run a tour for individuals with special needs. At the time, Rabbi Zev Baram, Executive Director of the Philadelphia Friendship Circle, did not anticipate the full impact an Israel program could have on these individuals.

“I think the biggest surprise for me at the time was that the participants spent one-and-a-half hours at the end of the Yad Vashem tour discussing and analyzing what they had just experienced. We had allocated just 45 minutes to the discussion because we thought that more than this was too much,” said Rabbi Baram, as he stood last week with members of the 2011 Mayanot Friendship Group in an alleyway in the Old City. “In some ways, these young adults were able to express themselves in ways that you may never witness on any other program,” he explained.

Four years on and this unique program has grown, developed and reached new heights, with a record-breaking 29 participants on this year’s 10-day program. Last week, the energy and excitement of the group’s participants was infectious as they prepared to visit the Kotel for what was the first time for the vast majority of the group. Michelle Gordon, 25, a participant from Philadelphia, PA, expressed her excitement moments before walking down to the Western Wall where she would celebrate her Bat Mitzvah together with two other individuals from the group. “I haven’t had a Bat Mitzvah and have never been to the Kotel. I am so excited to do that,” she said. Gordon was insistent that everyone should visit Israel and also talks about living there for a while. “You have to come here and see it,” she exclaimed.

Displaying the energy and attentiveness described by Rabbi Baram, each of the group’s participants was eager to have his turn in the spotlight, gravitating towards this writer to explain the meaning of the program to him. The listed highlights of the trip varied, as with any Israel program, and included friendship, adventure and even politics. Samuel Marcus, an 18-year-old Philadelphia native, expressed interest in voting in Israel and asked many questions about the various political parties.

For David Hakimian, an 18-year-old from New York, the highlights of the trip were the friendships that he developed. Hakimian, also known as “Mr. Smiley” for having a perpetual smile on his face, has now returned home, together with the rest of the group, but is still thinking about the connections he made. On the wall of a facebook group dedicated to the group he writes, “I miss you all and hope to see you all soon.”

Group Coordinator Deborah David is full of admiration for the group. “Many of the participants are somewhere on the spectrum of Asperger’s but they are all high-functioning and we have had incredible conversations,” she said. “A lot of them are interested in Jewish history and the political situation in Israel and have asked very poignant questions throughout the program.”

Staff member Jake King, a former participant on a Mayanot trip, is equally complimentary about the group. “The group dynamic is amazing, in particular the way they help one another and accept each other. It is wonderful to see the participants work together as a team and the smiles on their faces. I have never seen a group have as much fun together as this group.”

The 29 participants were not the only individuals seeing Israel for the first time. Joining participants and seven staff members was a group of six “volunteers” – individuals who chose to come on the Mayanot Friendship trip as staff members rather than visit Israel as participants of Mayanot’s other Taglit-Birthright Israel programs. Amongst these volunteers was Lisa Becker, a 26-year-old psychology graduate from North Carolina. Asked whether she had any regrets about choosing to volunteer rather than being a regular participant, Becker seemed surprised by the question. “No, not at all,” she exclaimed. “To me, seeing the reaction of the participants is much more worth it. I would make the same decision again.”

For organizers, one of the most gratifying aspects of the program is being able to provide these young adults with an experience that they may never have had otherwise. “Creating a program like this is very special for Mayanot and it is very special to me on a personal level,” explains Ms. David who is currently working on a follow-up special needs Israel program. “Seeing 29 individuals who have never been to Israel, and who may never have had an opportunity to come here without a program like this, is deeply satisfying. There is something really special about watching these individuals enjoy themselves while connecting to their Jewish roots.”

It is the hope of organizers that this program will have a lasting impact on participants. “Part of what we do at the Friendship Circle is ensure that individuals with special needs can be active parts of the Jewish community as well as feel connected to the community,” explains Rabbi Baram. “This program gives individuals the opportunity to connect with their Judaism, the same way that anyone else would.”

For Bracha Dahan, a 19-year-old from Montreal, hearing her family members’ stories about Israel and looking at their photographs served as an inspiration to come on the program. She desperately sought after the experiences that they had had and was not disappointed. “Finding out I was accepted to the trip was a dream come true,” she says.

Mayanot is extremely grateful to Taglit- Birthright Israel, the Greater Miami Federation and Metro West Federation for their support. Additional funding they provided went towards extra support and more hands-on activities chosen specifically for this group, as well as a higher staff-participant ratio. Funds also helped with the provision of an American Sign Language interpreter for a participant with hearing impairment.

For more information about The Friendship Circle please see www.friendshipcircle.org

For more information about post Birthright programs for young adults with special needs please see www.shalevisrael.com