Groundbreaking marks start of Friendship Circle’s ‘Friendship Campus’
The mission of volunteer-driven Friendship Circle in Miami is a dedication to offering friendship and acceptance to individuals with special needs.
To better achieve that, the nonprofit has long planned a visionary “Friendship Campus,” a 20,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility in South Florida.
The building’s groundbreaking ceremony was held Dec. 5 at a grand celebration with 200 guests.
It is hoped the new campus, which will also be home to the Chabad of Kendall/Pinecrest, will set the standard for Friendship Circle groups throughout the U.S.
“We are incredibly thankful to all individuals in our community who have contributed to this significant achievement, as we make the new Friendship Campus a reality after more than 25 years in the making,” said co-director Rabbi Yossi Harlig.
“It is truly life-changing to soon introduce a state-of-the-art location that will be a second home to many, many families in South Florida. It would not be possible without our volunteers, members, board of directors, donors and long-time patrons, who share the mutual sentiment of providing a place to ‘belong’ for all.”
Yossi and co-director Nechama Harlig are the founders of Friendship Circle in Miami. The new two single-story buildings are expected to be complete by spring 2023.
The campus will include indoor and outdoor settings, allowing for abundant services, play areas, and a garden, as well as onsite parking.
Friendship Circle in Miami has operated from its current 3,000-square-foot facility, at 8700 SW 112 St., since 2004 and has reached maximum capacity.
In its full vision, the new Friendship Campus will serve thousands of families with children and young adults with both physical and intellectual special needs through immersive programs and weekly events, fostering a sense of belonging for the entire community.
From the large-scale kitchen to the social hall and parent meeting room to the sensory room, organizers are planning for the campus to be “an inclusive place of unbounded experiences and longlasting friendships for those who need it most.”
Learn more at www.friendshipcirclemiami.org
Writing contest open to eighth-graders
The 34th annual Junior Orange Bowl Creative Writing Contest with the theme “How Can Art and Music Change Our Lives?” is now open for entries.
The contest for eighth grade students in South Florida is co-sponsored by the South Florida Writers Association.
Entries ofup to 500 words are encouraged and essays will be judged on the writer’s attention to theme, originality, and depth of meaning. Submissions must be received online or postmarked by March 18, 2022.
The finalists, their families, and their teachers will be invited to the awards ceremony at the Coral Gables Museum in April. Chair Jennifer Forbes and Director Anthony Broad lead the Junior Orange Bowl Creative Writing Contest.
Essays can be submitted on the Creative Writing event page at www.jrorangebowl.org. Email jobc@jrorangebowl.org or 305-662-1210 for more.
The three winning students and their teachers will receive a total of $2,300 in cash awards and prizes. The winning essays will be published in the Author’s Voice newsletter of the South Florida Writers Association, and the winning students will be featured on a MiamiLit podcast.
Holocaust education group receives grant
As Holocaust Remembrance Day approaches on Jan. 27, 3GMiami has announced it is expanding its education efforts across Miami through a recent $6,500 in funding from the Greater Miami Jewish Federation as part of its Jewish incubator grant program.
This important funding will assist the non-profit 3GMiami’s outreach and education efforts throughout 2022.
Launched in 2020 by Stephanie Rosen and Julie Paresky, who are both grandchildren of Holocaust survivors, 3GMiami empowers other grandchildren of Holocaust survivors to educate the next generation on the perils of intolerance and persecution by telling personal stories.
3GMiami’s trained speakers volunteer in Miami-Dade classrooms as part of the public school system’s Holocaust education instruction, mandated in the state of Florida. Last year, 3GMiami reached more than 1,000 students and visited 14 schools.
The group’s first big event of 2022 will take place in conjunction with the Miami Beach JCC, 12:30-2:30 p.m., Jan. 26.
Called “Why I Must Tell my Grandparent’s story: A Panel Discussion with Third Generation 3GMiami Members,” the lunchtime virtual event will be led by Holocaust child survivor Miriam Klein Kassenoff and three members of 3GMiami.
To continue its programming, and reach even more students in grades 6-12, 3GMiami will conduct another speaker training series April 5 through May 10 to teach grandchildren of Holocaust survivors how to best share their grandparents’ testimonies and stories.
Attendees must take part in all sessions in order to complete the training. For more on 3GMiami and the speaker training series, contact Paresky or Rosen at info@3GMiami.org.
To RSVP for the virtual JCC lunch and learn event on Jan. 26, go to www.mbjcc.org/event/international-holocaust-remembrance-day/
Write to ChristinaMMayo@gmail.com with news for this column.
