Wednesday, April 28, 2010Jack M. Barrack Hebrew AcademyA Special Evening in honor of

We dedicate this evening to the Rebbe‛s legacy.

The Rebbe‛s unconditional love of people knew no bounds. To the Rebbe, all belonged. He made them feel at home. The Rebbe‛s warm smile would heal every aching heart. He was always there, offering counsel and blessings, comfort offering counsel and blessings, comfort and hope, and often, material help as well.

To the Rebbe there were no divisions among the Jewish people. He considered every Jew his own flesh and blood. Jewish unity was not a slogan, a wish or a promise – it was a reality.

It is this belief in Jewish unity, the notion It is this belief in Jewish unity, the notion that no one of us is complete unless all of us are included, that goes to the very core and essence of the Rebbe‛s teaching. It is this concept that motivates and is the core of The Friendship Circle.The Rebbe

Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson

Dear Friends,

It is a pleasure to welcome you tonight as we celebrate The Friendship Circle‛s continued growth and recognize the many people who have made it possible. To our teenage volunteers:Thank you! Your awesome dedication and commitment are truly an inspiration. You should be proud that Thank you! Your awesome dedication and commitment are truly an inspiration. You should be proud that our community is becoming a more welcoming and comfortable place for children with special needs, due in no small part to your efforts. Our gratitude also extends to your parents who value and facilitate your participation. To Lisa & Ephi:You continue to be an example for us, and for the entire community, of recognizing and strengthening You continue to be an example for us, and for the entire community, of recognizing and strengthening each individual to bring out his or her highest potential. Your devotion to education, love of Torah and Am Yisrael are an inspiration. Your actions are imbued with the value of inclusion by welcoming The Friendship Circle, in every aspect, into your lives. We are so grateful and fortunate to have you as champions of The Friendship Circle. To Freda & Howard:From the first day of your involvement, you believed in and loved The Friendship Circle. You have set an From the first day of your involvement, you believed in and loved The Friendship Circle. You have set an example for what it means to be true community leaders, and this obviously is reflected in your children‛s commitment to your values. Your enthusiasm and positive outlook are infectious and motivate those around you. We appreciate all that you have done for The Friendship Circle and look forward to continuing our partnership in the years ahead. This dinner would not have been possible without the hard work of the many volunteers on our Event This dinner would not have been possible without the hard work of the many volunteers on our Event Committee whose creativity, passion and generosity combined to produce a spectacular evening. Together may we go from strength to strength! Chani & Zev Baram

Directors‛ Message

Lisa and Ephraim Dardashti

The Friendship Circle is honored to recognize Lisa and Ephraim Dardashti for their commitment to volunteerism and to the Greater Dardashti for their commitment to volunteerism and to the Greater Philadelphia Jewish community. Hailing from Norristown, Pennsylvania and Teheran, Iran, respectively, Lisa and Ephi have meshed their roots and the values and customs learned from their families. Active participants in Philadelphia's Jewish life, the Dardashtis have been dedicated members of the Lower Merion Synagogue community for

over 25 years.

Within their own family unit, they have striven to provide their children with a strong Jewish foundation at home as well as to support their educational experiences at Torah Academy, Abrams Hebrew Academy, Stern Hebrew High School, and Barrack Hebrew Day School. They have been role models for their children in emphasizing the importance of being part of the Jewish community, supporting Israel and helping others while remaining sensitive to their needs. Lisa has focused her professional energies on teaching and nurturing children, Lisa has focused her professional energies on teaching and nurturing children, especially in Jewish day school settings. Currently the gifted/enrichment teacher at Torah Academy, Lisa strives to create programs that meet the needs teacher at Torah Academy, Lisa strives to create programs that meet the needs of her learners and her colleagues. She loves to incorporate creative approaches and interesting materials to enhance her work. Five years ago, while serving as the youth director at the Lower Merion Synagogue, Lisa helped the Barams find their first location for The Friendship Circle and, along with Ephi, continues her involvement with our programs. Ephi works as a computer technical specialist at Bryn Mawr College. He enjoys learning and discussing Jewish texts with friends and local scholars and exudes a love of Israel and Jewish learning, including and local scholars and exudes a love of Israel and Jewish learning, including teaching adult Jewish education. Lisa and Ephi are especially proud of their four children, Shai, Nina, Meir, and Hannah, and the wonderful ways in which they have adopted the family values of helping others and contributing to their local Jewish communities in New York, Miami, Israel, Chicago and Philadelphia. Hannah, the youngest Dardashti, is being honored tonight as one of our teenage volunteers - a tribute to Hannah as well as to her parents.

Michael RubinJeremy RudolerAvi SatlowJessie Segal

Harrison SeletskyBen SeltzerChana ShakowChana Shakow

Devorah Leah ShermanMichal SnyderJudson SolomonRachel TannerShira TragerAvrahmi TragerAbby VigdermanAbby VigdermanAdam WachsDanielle WachsMax WallaceEmily WaltersShana WeiserBatya WeissDevora WeissDevora WeissAdrienne WerthAlyssa WiklerJen Zelnick

Meital ZimbalistBari Zweben

Miriam LeafAndrew LehrSam LeibowitzDani LeibowitzHannah LevickJosh LevinKate LevinKate LevinEsther LevinSterna LevinShifra LevyMaia Levy

Kayla LibesmanSarah LipskyNicole MaceyNicole MaceyEmunah MeadvinJessi MilestoneSophie MolinariMax MolinariDevo MyerNechama MyerMolly NadavMolly NadavJordana Norry Tzivya Ortiz

Sarita Ravinsky-FleegerShayna Ravinsky-Fleeger

Stephen RhodeMiriam Rock

Maytal RothschildMaytal Rothschild

Michelle GoldsboroughAtara GoodmanRachel Gordon Lena GreenbergMarc GrossingerCasey HaasEli HaberEli Haber

Naomi HachenYoni HachenShira HalpernRachel HefflerBarbara HenigSam HurwitzRachel HurwitzRachel HurwitzLeah Jablon

Ayelet JacobsonTali JacobsonEsti JamesAmi JamesEli Katz

Andrew KaufmanAndrew KaufmanMatthew KaufmanHunter KingDalia KirznerAviva KoloskiEmanuel Korn

Geffie KornhauserMelissa KrouseMelissa Krouse

These outstanding individuals brought smiles to the faces of children with special needs from January 2009 through the present:

Leadership League Volunteers

Jesse BernsteinZusha BettounAlison BlochAaron ElkinHallie ErlichSeth FeldmanSeth FeldmanYossi GlickShani HirschRachel Sandler

Jonathan SchwartzTali Sved

Sarah Weinblatt

VolunteersVolunteers

Zoe AbboudiSara AbramsonEmily AckerJamie AxelrodJillian AxelrodCory BarnetMegan BaumelMegan BaumelGabrielle BaylissChanan BaylissAaron Benau

Sivan Ben-MaimonSamantha BermanAdam Black

Aaron BlumbergMegan BoniAytan Cohen

Kbenjamin CoplonKbenjamin CoplonDanielle DarameHannah DardashtiArie DashHalana DashLottie DasherDani DratchJoshua EgosiJoshua EgosiRachel EisenstatZahava ElkaimEstee EllisMorey EllisPaige ErlichAvriel FinderRachel FishmanRachel FishmanReyna FoxJacob FrankelOrly GabayAlyssa GabayMax GeringJake GeringLeikie GlickLeikie Glick

Warm appreciation to those listed and to the many more who give so much of themselves in all Friendship Circle endeavors - from set up to clean up, to substituting, presenting valuable information to the parents group and in countless other ways. Words cannot adequately express how important you are to The Friendship Circle.

Our Staff

Rabbi Zev BaramExecutive Director

Chani Schmidt BaramProgram Director

Hindy FinmanVolunteer CoordinatorVolunteer Coordinator

Meir Shimshon TreibwasserMusic Therapist

Cait GilmartinBehavior Therapist & Staff/Volunteer Consultant

Christina AmbergTeen Division Coordinator,Teen Division Coordinator,Behavior Therapist & Staff/Volunteer Consultant

Chaya Myer SnyderSunday Circle Coordinator

Adult VolunteersMegan BaumelAngele BologniniEmily CoplonMichele CotumaccioBarbra DasherAmy Erlbaum Amy Erlbaum Jackie FoxTzipi GlickAlan GoldfussBarbie HenigSara LandmanChana LaneMen‛s Club of Temple Beth Hillel/Beth ElMen‛s Club of Temple Beth Hillel/Beth ElAmy NisenLinda SagmanArthur SauerhaftJessica WaberMina Wolfe

Group VolunteersBiCo Chabad Student‛s Association BiCo Chabad Student‛s Association 8th graders of Torah Academy Chabad at Temple University Hillel at Temple UniversityJChaiPenn TzedekYouth Group at Temple Beth Hillel/Beth El

The following professionals donated their time to making presentations to the parent group:

Dr. Sheldon Bernick Broomall Pediatric Dentistry Broomall Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics Paul Feldman, Esq. Feldman and Feldman Dale FisherClinical Social Work/Clinical Social Work/Therapist, LCSW Lindsay LawerCenter for Mental Health Policy & Services Research Department of Research Department of Psychiatry,University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine

Bruce Sham, CLFSpecial Care Planner

Sandy & Herb MossAudrey Whitman & Paul NewmanGail & Elliot NorryHannah & Rakhmiel PeltzDayana & Berel RapoportJennifer RosenJill & Brian Rosen Jill & Brian Rosen Lori & Peter RosenbergLinda SagmanLinda & Eric SatlowEmily Coplon & Arthur SauerhaftJanet & Steven SchwartzSusan & Jeffrey SchwartzGail* & Larry SimonGail* & Larry SimonJudy TeretskyJessica WaberButsie & Jay WeinsteinLorna & Seth Zwillenberg

*Members of Advisory Board

Parent CommitteeJennifer AbramsonJennifer AbramsonJudy & Fred BomzeMarisol & David GreenbergSeth HorwitzAlicia Felton & Sherrill NeffMarlene & Steven Ross

Advisory BoardDr. Eric BergerAlexandra Bricklin Rebecca Cohen, Ph.DAndrea CorenBarbara EpsteinDr. Talya FishmanDr. Talya FishmanCarole Shames FrankDr. George Frank, Esq. Rita Lourie GalenaDr. Celia GlickDr. Rachel HachenLinda J. Heller, Esq.Renee W. Kalandar, OT\LRenee W. Kalandar, OT\LRabbi Ephraim LevinDr. Steven MandelAri MillerDr. Marcia Levinson, PT, MFTRabbi Menachem SchmidtChava SchmidtBruce ShamBruce ShamHilde ShamEileen S. SklaroffJanet SwartzSheryl TregermanMiriam TaubmanSharon Wohlmuth Teacher

Event Committee

Julie & Robert AxelrodKaren & Mark BernsteinJoan & Joel BeteshEllen & Michael BraffmanIris & Larry BrownsteinIris & Larry BrownsteinAllison Deane CarneyMalka & David CarolineSusan & Neil Cooper Devorah* & Shaya DeitschAmy* & Daniel ErlbaumVicki & Gary ErlbaumPam & Scott FeldmanPam & Scott FeldmanDarien & Charles FinderGilya & Len FreedmanWendie GabayRabbi Albert GabbaiJoy & Brian GoldsteinTracy & George GordonCristy & Mitchell HollinCristy & Mitchell HollinRabbi Shmuel & Becky JablonDrs. Marsha & Darin KatzSandy & Michael KornhauserSara LandmanFelissa (Hannah) LaneLeadership League Volunteers Holly Cohen & Leib MeadvinHolly Cohen & Leib Meadvin

The Friendship Circle serves families of children with special needs-toddlers through young adults, offering them a full range of socialexperiences. The program also fills a vital need for meaningful

volunteer opportunities for teenagers who learn how to provide respite and friendship to these children and their families.

Our Programs:Friends at Home

Sunday Circle Respite SessionsTeen Circle

Bar & Bat Mitzvah LessonsHolidays at Home Activity Packages

Holiday CarnivalsHoliday CarnivalsFamily Shabbat Dinners

Parent Webinars and List ServeParent Networking and Support

Moms‛ Night OutVolunteer Club

Volunteer Sensitivity TrainingLeadership LeagueLeadership League

To the Greatest Group of Teenagers Around:

Thanks for making The Friendship Circle all that it is!We could never do it without you!

You‛re the best,

Rabbi Zev & Chani Baram& Hindy Finman& Hindy Finman

In Honor of Lisa & Ephi:

Thank you for your willingness to lend a hand and partner with us. We

continue to be humbled and inspired by you and your wonderful family.

With gratitude,

Chani and ZevChani and Zev

In honor of Freda & Howard:

It has been such a privilege getting to know you guys, and having the honor

of bringing your family into The Friendship Circle family.

Thanks for being such great fans!

With appreciation,With appreciation,Chani & Zev

HEY LEADERS! Two words:

YOU ROCK!!

Thank you from all of us here @ TFC

We wish to express our gratitude to those foundations whose assistance means so much to us and enables The Friendship Circle

to flourish and grow:

Erlbaum Family Foundation

The Seymour Kalstein Foundation

The Run For Harold Foundation

Joan and Jack Shuster FoundationJoan and Jack Shuster Foundation

To:Congregation Beth Hamedrash Congregation Beth OrLower Merion SynagogueTemple Beth Hillel/Beth ElTemple SinaiTorah Academy of Greater Philadelphia Torah Academy of Greater Philadelphia Old York Road Temple Beth AmMain Line Reform

Thank you for opening your hearts and doors to The Friendship Circle, and enabling us to have a home for our events. You are making this community a place where everyone feels comfortable!

And our colleagues: Chabad Lubavitch of The Main LineChabad Lubavitch of Chester County Lubavitch of Montgomery County Chabad Lubavitch Jewish Center of Rydal Chabad Center for Jewish Life at the Tri-Co

Special recognition to: Special recognition to: Jack M. Barrack Hebrew Academy, Our host for all the Sunday Circle sessions this year

To our sister organization, The Friendship Circle of the Delaware Valley- North,

and especially to Rabbi Yudi & Miriam Shemtov.

May you go from strength to strength and may we continue working together

to strengthen The Friendship Circle goals.to strengthen The Friendship Circle goals.

Hindy: Thanks for being our partner in work, brainstorming, networking, “table-ing”, and

Friendship “Circling” in every way, and most importantly in shlichus. We feel so lucky to have you as part of the team and

wish you only revealed brachas in every single aspect of your life.

Thank you so much for all your late nights and dedication to making this event happen!

With so much appreciation, With so much appreciation, Chani and Zev

P.S. Special shout out from Rozy, Sarah and Dovy for being so good to us!

Thank you to all of our fellow shluchim for being our partners and a constant source of support in so many ways. May all of us merit to

hasten the Geulah NOW!

Philadelphia Lubavitch Center, Regional DirectorsRabbi Avraham & Batsheva Shemtov

Lubavitch House, Jewish Business Network,Jewish Relief AgencyRabbi Menachem & Chava Schmidt

Chabad Lubavitch of Chester CountyRabbi Yossi & Ticky KaplanRabbi Yossi & Ticky Kaplan

Lubavitch of Montgomery CountyRabbi Shaya & Devorah Deitsch

Chabad Lubavitch Jewish Center of Rydal Rabbi Zushe & Dini Gurevitz

Chabad Lubavitch of the Main LineRabbi Shraga & Michal ShermanRabbi Moishe & Devorah BrennenRabbi Moishe & Devorah BrennenRabbi Mendy & Tema Cohen

Lubavitch of Wynnewood & Camp Gan IsraelRabbi Zalman & Miriam Gerber

Lubavitch of Center CityRabbi Yochonon & Leah Goldman

Chabad of Northern LibertiesRabbi Gedaliah & Shevy Lowenstein

Chabad Lubavitch of Northwest PhiladelphiaChabad Lubavitch of Northwest PhiladelphiaRabbi Yitzchok & Pessy Gurevitz

Chabad Jewish Center of Delaware CountyRabbi Eli Dovid & Rivky Strassburg

Lubavitch of Bucks CountyRabbi Yudi & Miriam ShemtovRabbi Aryeh & Rosie WeinsteinRabbi Mendel & Rechama LezelleRabbi Mendel & Rechama LezelleRabbi Mendel & Dassie Pruss

Chabad Center for Jewish Life at the Tri-CoRabbi Eli & Blumie Gurevitz

Lubavitch House at PennRabbi Ephraim & Flora LevinRabbi Levi & Nechama Chatzkelovitch

Chabad at Temple UniversityRabbi Baruch & Chani KantorRabbi Baruch & Chani Kantor

Lubavitch Center for Russian JewryRabbi Sholom & Malky Goldshmid

Chabad Lubavitch - Vaad Lidovrei IvritRabbi Zalman & Faige LipskerRabbi Levi & Rivkah Weber

Chabad of Berks CountyRabbi Yossi & Chana Lipsker

Chabad of Penn StateRabbi Nosson & Sarah Meretzsky

Chabad Lubavitch of the PoconosRabbi Mendel & Shterni Bendet

Lubavitch of the Lehigh ValleyLubavitch of the Lehigh ValleyRabbi Yaakov & Devorah Halperin

Steven, Fred, Judy and Michael Bomze

Sandy and Paul Bomze

Matthew, Doris, and Carolan Yarczower

Beth, David, Ally, and Lauren Blum and Amanda Lightman

Saundra, Donald, Lisa, and Rachel Freedman

Byron and Debbi GoldsteinByron and Debbi Goldstein

Armanda Albert

Susan Blum

Cindy Lamberg

Ben Seltzer,all the volunteers,and Staff ofThe Friendship

Circle