Purim Festivities for Children with Special Needs

[Guest guest]

Purim Festivities for Children With Special Needs

METROWEST, NJ - Wednesday, March 08, 2006

http://www.lubavitch.com

 

Autism, cerebral palsy, Asperger's syndrome, Down syndrome, and ADHD are no

longer obstacles to Purim fun as Friendship Circle programs, offered at 20

Chabad-Lubavitch centers around the world, sponsor events for children with

special needs for the upcoming holiday.

 

Celebrated this year March 13-15, Purim marks the salvation of the Jewish

people in 365 B.C.E. from certain annihilation at the hands of Haman, a

prime minister whose evil ways were trumped only by the righteousness of

Mordechai, the valiance of Queen Esther and the prayers of Jewish children.

Creativity and thoughtful planning are required to ensure that children with

special needs are included, but not overwhelmed, by the festivities of the

lively holiday of Purim.

 

Holidays like Purim--that throw carefully structured schedules off

kilter--have the potential to be so disruptive that families with children

with special needs can view them as hassle-days instead of holy-days.

" Families raising children with special needs can be overwhelmed with

schooling, therapy and advocating for their children to seek involvement in

the Jewish community. The Friendship Circle is an opportunity for them to

see how much the Jewish community cares for all children and all families, "

said Director of the Friendship Circle of MetroWest, NJ, Rabbi Zalman

Grossbaum.

Everyone is in the same situation. The atmosphere is very accepting. No one

is questioning them.

 

Pots of washable, face-friendly paint and soft paintbrushes are ready for

the Friendship Circle S. Diego Purim Celebration at Chabad of Poway. Gragger

crafts, Jewish sand art, and dancing--guided by a music therapist--will be

available in different rooms. " Having all activities in one room, a regular

carnival that's noisy and crowded, does not work for our kids, " said

Friendship Circle of S. Diego Director Elisheva Green. As a middle school

teacher and mother of a child with developmental delays, Green structured

the program with lots of movement built in to help children with attention

disorders remain engaged.

 

Consideration of children's needs led Esther Bogomilsky, director of the

Friendship Circle for the Chai Center in Seattle, to include a " quiet room "

at the Purim party. There, children with a low tolerance for light and

sounds can enjoy the holiday on their own terms. Party refreshments--light

on the cake and cookies, heavy on the veggies and potato chips--were chosen

to enable children on gluten-free diets, common among those with autism

spectrum disorders, to snarf down snacks just like all other kids do on

Purim.

 

At the party thrown by Friendship Circle of MetroWest, NJ, careful observers

will note the high number of teenage volunteers milling about. Arguably one

of the largest Friendship Circle programs in the country, MetroWest has an

active list of some 600 teenage volunteers who contributed over 25,000

volunteer hours over the last year. Many will be on hand to help the

children experience Purim fun, providing parents with a much-needed break.

Friendship Circle events are places parents of children with special needs

feel comfortable. " Everyone is in the same situation. The atmosphere is very

accepting. No one is questioning them, " said Rabbi Grossbaum.

 

In S. Diego, the camaraderie between parents will be upped into a networking

and support session during the party. While the kids move from activity to

activity, a facilitator will help parents share ideas over coffee and

hamantaschen pastries, a format that worked well during previous Friendship

Circle gatherings, Green said.

 

Purim festivities offer Friendship Circle an opportunity to gather

volunteers for special thank-you events. A comedy troupe will be

entertaining volunteers in New Jersey. Spicy Mexican food will be served at

the volunteer party in Washington. But directors across the country agree

with Malya Shmotkin, Director of Friendship Circle of Stamford, CT, Teen

volunteers show up to events when their participation will benefit their

" special friends, " she said. " Parties are not the primary motivation for

volunteering with the Friendship Circle. They want to make a difference in a

child's life. "

Reported by Rivka Chaya Berman