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22
September 20 0 2012
Documentary on Friendship Circle
airs Sept. 23 on Channel 7.
S
ince its inception in 1994,
Friendship Circle of West
Bloomfield has assisted tens
of thousands of families that have
children with special needs. Inspired
to make a mark on the community,
Bassie and Rabbi Levi Shemtov set
out on a mission to help children of
all religions and ethnic backgrounds.
Now, the story of Friendship Circle is
featured in a heartwarming documen-
tary set to air on Sunday Sept. 23, at
5:30 p.m. on WXYZ-TV, Channel 7.
Friendship Circle offers therapy for
children of all ages with a wide variety
of medical issues ranging from autism
to multiple sclerosis by teaching them
essential life skills in "Lifetown," a
remarkable indoor city.
The documentary entitled The Circle
Never Ends is produced and hosted by
longtime Detroit broadcaster Eli Zaret,
who takes viewers through Friendship
Circle, interviewing the Shemtovs, the
inspiring children of Friendship Circle,
their parents and the dedicated teen
volunteers who make it all possible.
Zaret, who made his mark in the
broadcasting industry as a sportscast-
er, captures some beautiful moments
in this fast-moving and emotional
journey through the inner workings
of one of Metro Detroit's best-kept
secrets.
The production gave Zaret a new
point of view. "My perspective on
volunteerism was greatly altered:' he
said. "Kids with special needs can be
frightening, and some of the teens
admit they were intimidated at first.
But they quickly realized that unlike
many of their peers, the kids with
special needs passed no judgment on
how they looked, who they knew, how
much money they had or where they
lived. The purity of the friendship
overwhelmed many of them. The kids
with special needs don't even under-
stand lying, coercion or deception. As
teen volunteer Jenna Silverstein said,
`They just want to be your friend."'
The documentary shows that as
volunteers began sharing their expe-
riences about this special bond, the
number of volunteers swelled, allow-
ing the Friendship Circle to grow
exponentially.
The project also affected Zaret's
views as a parent. "Parenthood is
always wrought with challenges, but
raising children with special needs
goes beyond what anyone outside that
realm can imagine," he said.
"I realized that many parents of
special needs children are prisoners
in their own homes, unable to even
get a baby-sitter in many instances.
I learned that without outside assis-
tance, these parents are quickly and
tragically overwhelmed. It was both
disheartening to realize the pervasive-
ness of this as well uplifting to realize
that so many good people were willing
to help."
In the documentary, parent Julie
Zorn, who has two sons with special
needs, sums up the feelings of many
families who rely on Friendship Circle.
"There is just so much love, acceptance
and affection here she said.
The documentary was made pos-
sible by generous donations from
attorney Sam Bernstein, the William
Davidson Foundation and several
other benefactors. It came about after
a visit by Zaret to Friendship Circle
some six months ago at the urging of
longtime broadcasting colleague Mort
Meisner.
"When made aware of this remark-
able, internationally renowned
charity that was created in our own
backyard, we felt compelled to bring
greater awareness to it," said Channel 7
General Manager Ed Fernandez.
If you miss the Sept. 23 5:30 p.m.
broadcast, catch a repeat on Channel 7
Sunday, Sept. 30, at 3:30 p.m.
❑