Metro

Widening The Circle

Supporters tour Friendship Circle's new Ferber Kaufman LifeTown.

RONELLE GRIER

Special to the Jewish News

I

SIB

4/21
2005

18

sensory therapy, water play, comput-
ers, gross motor activities, and music
and dance programs as well as a mini
apartment and lounges for parents and
volunteers to relax and connect with
one another.
"This is a very important building
that has a lot of potential for making a
real difference in our community,"
said Cantor Stephen Dubov of
Congregation Chaye Olam, who was
conducting the Kidz Klez Band.
The excitement continued on the
lower level, home of the Weinberg
Life Village, a 5,000-square-foot sim-
ulated city with its own bank, pet
shop, movie theater, beauty salon,

t was truly a night of dreams
come true as more than 1,000
supporters of the Friendship
Circle turned out for the organization's
annual dinner and grand opening
April 5 of the Ferber Kaufman
LifeTown building on the Meer
Family Friendship Center campus in
West Bloomfield.
The two-story, 23,000-square-foot,
$4.5 million LifeTown building is a
place where children with special
needs, their families, and the more
than 350 teenage members of the
Morrie and Sybil Fenkell
Volunteer Club can come to
learn important life skills and
develop the unique friendships
that are the cornerstone of the
Friendship Circle.
The evening began in the
nearby Shul. Speakers includ-
ed Friendship Circle directors
Bassie and Rabbi Levi
Shemtov; LifeTown chairper-
son Alon Kaufman; past
Federation presidents Penny
Blumenstein and Larry
Jackier; Carolyn Morris of
West Bloomfield, the parent
of a son with autism; and pro-
gram participant Rachel
Felsenfeld and her volunteer,
liana Anders, both of
Farmington Hills, who talked
about the special friendship
they have developed during
the last three years.
Following the program,
attendees proceeded to the
new LifeTown building,
accompanied by live music
Volunteer liana Anders speaks about her relation-
from the Kidz Klez Band of
ship
with Rachel Felsenfeld, both of Farmington
Michigan. They enjoyed a lav-
Hills,
that developed over three years in
ish strolling dinner and a tour
Friendship Circle.
of the new facilities.
Upon entering, it was hard
to know where to look first,
between the enormous live tree fill-
drugstore, battery-operated cars and
ing the center of the lobby and the
working traffic lights. There is also a
free-flowing chocolate fountain with
4,000-square-foot multipurpose
king-sized skewered strawberries ripe
room with an in-ground trampoline,
for dipping.
a convertible stage and its own
Enthusiasm was high as people
kitchen that will be used for parties
and other programs.
toured the various rooms on the main
level, each specially equipped for art,
"I view this as a sea change for the

community," said Lawrence Jackier,
immediate past president of the
Jewish Federation of Metropolitan
Detroit. "The momentum and joy of
this magical evening will be the cata-
lyst to help us develop a continuum
of care for this previously underserved
population."
"This is an absolute, unbelievable

dream come true," said Sheryl
Kaminer of Oak Park, whose daughter
Elana has been involved with the
Friendship Circle since the organiza-
tion came to the area 10 years ago.
"Words just can't describe what my
heart feels like knowing that people
really care about my special-needs
child." ❑

•

Above: Rabbi Yakov and Miriam
Amzalak of Oak Park check out the
LifeTown store as Sheva Bronstein,
volunteer coordinator, rings up their
purchases.

Left: Lila-own is named for Alon and
Shari Kaufman and Ron and Ronda
Ferber, all of Wrest Bloomfield.

Members of the Kidz Klez Band of Michigan welcome guests at the new
LifeTown building.