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“I really don’t know what it is that
allows me to connect well
with teens ... I look at it as a gift
I have, and the question is how can
I use that gift to help people
on their journeys.”

— RABBI YARDEN BLUMSTEIN

binics in New York. Part of his
program involved an internship
working with teens in a yeshi-
vah setting, educating and pro-
viding spiritual guidance.
“Through this work, I found
myself having a skillset of being
able to listen to teens and to
help teens communicate with
those around them,” Yarden
said. When Friendship Circle
of Michigan, headquartered in
West Bloomfield, reached out
to him looking for an “informal
teen community educator,”
Yarden and his wife, Bayla,
decided to make the move.
“Nine years and six children
later, we’re still here,” he said.

BEING THERE FOR TEENS

Friendship Circle has about 500
teen volunteers who provide
friendship to children and young
adults with special needs each
year Yarden says the organiza-
tion believes the teens benefit
from the experience as much
as those who participate in
Friendship Circle’s many pro-
grams.
“Teens are in a continuous sys-
tem, under constant pressures
that ultimately don’t take them
to where they want to go,” Yarden
said. “Giving teens free space
and time away from social media
and these constant pressures is
so important. We need to allow
teens to fail and fall down and
know that they can fail.”
Yarden creates a framework
for failure as a healthy part of life
through UMatter, an organiza-
tion of Friendship Circle that cre-
ates awareness surrounding teen
mental health and empowers
teens to support one another in
school and elsewhere.
He sees spirituality as instru-
mental to enabling teens to lead
lives of purpose.
“Giving real spirituality to
today’s teens is a game-changer,”

Leah Dunn and Yarden score
a goal during a break in the
Friendship Circle volunteer
lounge.

he said. “At the end of the day,
teens are fighting with deep, core
issues and are at the lowest spiri-
tual place in their lives. While
spirituality may not look like the
obvious tool, it’s building a real
system of support.”
He combines spirituality with
support systems by inviting
teens into his home for Shabbat
dinners. Throughout this past
year, Yarden and Bayla hosted
more than 1,000 teens on Friday
nights.
“My family sees teens as an
integral part of who they are, and
my kids say it’s not Shabbat with-
out teens at our table,” he said.
“I think it’s really cool how a life
passion of mine can be so impor-
tant to my family as well.”
He credits Bayla for keeping
the family balanced and creating
a welcoming home, complete
with delicious Shabbat din-
ners she prepares with love and
impressive culinary skill.
While his family has embraced
his passion for helping teens,
Yarden feels that working with
teens has helped him become a
better parent.
“I’ve learned to accept my kids
for who they are rather than who
I want them to
be. I try to give
attention to my
children that is
undivided and
focus on what
they’re actually
saying rather
than what I
Rabbi Levi
want to hear,”
Shemtov
he said.
Rabbi Levi
Shemtov, executive director of
Friendship Circle, says the rap-
port Yarden has been able to
establish with teens has greatly
enhanced the mission of the
organization.
“One of the great things about
Yarden with teens is that he

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August 2 • 2018

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