Hannah Solomon couldn’t stop dancing throughout the Saturday night concert.
On the surface, that might not sound impressive. But once you looked at the smiles and tears of joy in the eyes of those around Hannah, you understood you were witnessing something special, as Hannah uses a wheelchair and doesn’t usually stand or walk—let alone dance.
“I started to cry when I saw her,” Hannah’s mother, Lori Solomon, said. “She was just so happy, and she was with her counselors [from camp]—Malka Marmer and Esther Robinson—whom Hannah love and who love her so much.”
The concert was the culmination of an amazing Shabbat of unity that brought together 50 children and teens from across the tri-state area, all of whom have special needs. The Hand-in-Hand Shabbaton, a Shabbat of achdut (unity), was co-sponsored by two organizations that specialize in programming for people with special needs, Friendship Circle in Livingston and Camp HASC.
“Camp HASC and Friendship Circle are a match made in heaven, and this Shabbat brought heaven down to earth,” said Rabbi Zalman Grossbaum, executive director of Friendship Circle. “Individually, both organizations brought so much to the table. Together, the two complemented each other, giving the participants a Shabbat they won’t soon forget.”
The Shabbaton began late Friday afternoon with a welcome reception at Friendship Circle, where kids and the college-age volunteers they were paired with all got to know each other and worked on a “Shabbat Shalom” banner together. Then it was off to the Westminster Hotel, where everyone got their room assignment for the night. According to Grossbaum, the hotel, which is adjacent to the Friendship Circle building, went out of its way to ensure that the kids and volunteers had everything they needed for their sleepover.
The kids enjoyed a real traditional Shabbat experience with candle-lighting, Shabbat prayer services and special meals with foods prepared just for the day of rest. Then there were the games, puzzles and even a Shabbat walk. The Shabbaton concluded with a Havdalah service and a post-Shabbat concert featuring the popular Jewish singer Eli Marcus that was open to the community.
“It was a transformative experience,” said FC Director Toba Grossbaum. “The kids made friends from different communities and towns, and got to know amazing volunteers who really went above and beyond to ensure that the children had a wonderful and joyful Shabbat.”
Added Zalman Grossbaum, “This is a turning point for Friendship Circle. After seeing just how much the children loved their Shabbaton, we are committed to creating an array of new opportunities for parents and participants. This takes our programming to a whole new level!”
For many of the kids who participated in the weekend getaway, this was their first sleepover with friends and, for some, their first night away from home.
“It was a great experience for Matthew to be without us for Shabbat and on ‘his own.’ He has not had many opportunities for that,” said Meryl Stone, whose son, Matthew, participated in the Shabbaton. “I loved that FC and Camp HASC partnered for this Shabbaton. The staff was great, upbeat and energetic.”
One of Matthew’s favorite moments? Participating in a sleepover tradition—having a pillow fight with friends.
Max Lerner was also at the Shabbaton and was having so much fun he didn’t want to leave. “When my husband, Keith, and I got to Friendship Circle on Saturday night, Max looked surprised that we were there to pick him up. He enjoyed Shabbat dinner, playing tennis, being with his friends and especially the [post-Shabbat] concert. Keith had to ask him three times to say goodbye to his friends. Each time Max told Keith to sit down, that he wanted to stay and dance. And that he was OK being by himself.”
“The Shabbaton was great experience for Max and was an initial step toward him hopefully becoming a more independent young adult,” his mother continued. “Actually, Max did much better than Keith and I did!”
According to Lori Solomon, the fact that the two organizations teamed up for this event made it particularly special for Hannah, who attends Friendship Circle programs throughout the year and Camp HASC in the summer.
“I know that Malka and Esther, her camp counselors in the summer, get her up and dancing every week at Camp HASC, because they have weekly concerts, but I had never seen it before. You could feel the pure joy from both Hannah and her counselors. It was just an amazing experience for me to witness that and to be able to dance with them,” Solomon said. “I was filled with joy and pride that our community hosted this, and that our Friendship Circle did this. It was wonderful and just incredible for everybody.”
