Stories - Friendship Circle of Brooklyn
Friendship Circle Brooklyn Hosts Volunteer Appreciation Event
On Wednesday afternoon, 170 high school girls from around Crown Heights joined together at the Friendship Circle Center for Family and Friends to celebrate a year of friendship, dedication, and...
A Warm Morning for FC Moms After Pesach
What started as a chilly spring day quickly turned into something warm and uplifting, as Friendship Circle moms gathered for a post-Pesach brunch. For many, it was exactly what they...
New Torah Celebrated at Friendship Circle of Brooklyn
The Crown Heights community gathered for a moving and joyous Hachnasas Sefer Torah at Friendship Circle of Brooklyn’s Center, celebrating the dedication of a Torah to their weekly Minyan amidst...
What Happens When School Is Closed but Life Isn’t?
What Happens When School Is Closed but Life Isn’t? When we found out that many local schools were open but special schools were still closed, we knew it was going...
Friendship Circle Lights Up Chanukah at Energetic Bash
On the first night of Chanukah, close to 700 people filled the halls of Beis Rivkah for the Friendship Circle of Brooklyn Chanukah Bash.
8th Grade Girls Turned Challenging Day Into a Mission of Kindness
Bnos Menachem’s 8th grade students showed grace and compassion as they created a meaningful experience for Friendship Circle families on Veteran's Day.
Friendship Circle Brooklyn Kicks Off New Year for Volunteers
Friendship Circle Brooklyn kickstarted its flagship Friends@Home program with two separate volunteer orientations — welcoming a record 250 high school volunteers to its growing community.
More Than a Retreat: A Night That Showed What FC Volunteers Are Made Of
There’s something special that happens when our high school volunteers get together. It’s a kind of instant warmth, laughter, and sisterhood that you can’t fake. Our Friday night retreat wasn’t...
Friendship Circle Brooklyn Celebrates 145 Volunteers at Appreciation BBQ
Friendship Circle Brooklyn wrapped up another incredible year of volunteering with a grand appreciation BBQ for their high school girls division. The event was hosted outdoors in the Friendship Circle...
Art of Friendship 5785!
Hundreds of men, women and children visited the Friendship Circle of Brooklyn’s annual art gallery event, “The Art of Friendship: Home is Where the Heart Is,” in collaboration with the...
Friendship and Support at FC Ice Hockey Match
On Sunday, March 23, hockey enthusiasts, Friendship Circle supporters, and members of the local community came together at the Abe Stark Arena in Brooklyn for a one-of-a-kind hockey game in...
Friendship Circle Brooklyn to Host a Hockey Match
On Sunday, March 23, hockey enthusiasts, Friendship Circle supporters, and members of the local community will come together for a one-of-a-kind hockey game to benefit the Friendship Circle of Brooklyn....
Friendship Circle Brooklyn Holds Mega Chanukah Bash
A crowd of over 800 people joined the grand Chanukah party of the Friendship Circle of Brooklyn with Menorah lighting, entertainment and dancing. Photos by Miriam (Karelin) Sarytchev “Of course...
Friendship Circle welcome volunteers to brand new Center for a SOULful Friday night
While the Pegisha welcomed thousands of college students to our neighborhood, this very same weekend, Friendship Circle of Brooklyn welcomed its volunteer teen girls to its brand new Center for a SOULful Friday...
Vibrant Tishrei at Friendship Circle of Brooklyn’s New Home
Following the recent completion of construction, the Friendship Circle of Brooklyn Center has swiftly transitioned into a thriving community hub. An extensive Tishrei programming schedule successfully transformed the space into...
Friendship Circle Brooklyn Kicks Off New Year for Volunteers
Before Tishrei, Friendship Circle of Brooklyn kicked off its Friends at Home program with separate Volunteer Orientations for the boys’ and girls’ divisions. Greeted by a massive spread of chips,...
Young Girl’s Moving Comment Brings Reader to Tears
On August 12, Mrs. Chani Majesky, Director of the Friendship Circle of Brooklyn, shared a poignant and personal story from a few years ago, on the FC Instagram page. Little...
FCBK joins Raisethon’s “The Non-Prophet” Podcast
“Friendship Circle is so much more than the child with Special Needs. In this talk with Berel and Chani Majesky, we found out just how much more. For 13 years,...
Construction is coming to completion
Rabbi Berel Hildeshaim, Chairman of the Crown Heights Vaad Hakohol, toured the new Friendship Circle Center with Friendship Circle of Brooklyn Director, Rabbi Berel Majesky. Construction is coming to completion with an...
Friendship Circle Visits Special Campers Upstate
Rabbi Berel and Chani Majesky of Friendship Circle of Brooklyn decided to stop by some camps upstate to surprise their FC friends that they are in touch with during the year. The reaction to...
A Mother’s Thoughts About Her Daughter
Siblings of children with special needs now have their own support groups providing friendship, support and validation. By a mother who feels passionately about supporting her daughter and wants every...
Friendship Circle Showcasing Real Talent
Watch: The recent Friendship Circle of Brooklyn’s annual Soiree was an unforgettable evening, and it was the heartfelt performance by FC member Levi Harlig of an Avraham Fried classic that set the tone for...
Hundreds Attend ‘Art of Friendship’ Gallery Event
Hundreds of men, women and children visited the Friendship Circle of Brooklyn’s annual art gallery event, “The Art of Friendship: As You Are,” in collaboration with the Bear Givers Foundation....
Late-Night Shopping for Friendship Circle at 2 Kingston Avenue Shops
Pre Pesach in Crown Heights is always a blur of activity. Especially the clothing stores, as everyone tries to get themselves, and their children, fitted for new outfits. It can...
What touched us the most
Purim at Friendship Circle Brooklyn was filled with a massive event for 200+ people, private megillah readings for homebound children, TONS of volunteer engagement with our girls and Bochurim visiting their...
FC Purchases Center for Family and Friends
To our dear Brooklyn community, Over a decade ago, when we took over as Directors of the Friendship Circle of Brooklyn, we deeply questioned our decision. We always knew that...
FC Hosts Networking Event
When Special Parents drive in from places as far as Lakewood and Five Towns because they heard through the grapevine about this event, you know that what Friendship Circle is offering...
You didn’t hear it from us…!
We wanted to share this feedback with you from one of our volunteers’ Whatsapp Status. It’s pretty cool how impactful Friendship Circle is on both the members AND the volunteers...
Yud Tes Kislev Farbrengen with Friendship Circle
This past Thursday, over 80 boys with special needs and their volunteers gathered at the JCM to celebrate Yud-Tes Kislev. The boys created a Chanukah sand art project and enjoyed...
Friendship Circle Brooklyn Welcomes Volunteers at Events
“Have affection for a fellow-Jew and G‑d will have affection for you; do a kindness for a fellow-Jew and G‑d will do a kindness for you; befriend a fellow-Jew and...
Home at Last!
With gratitude to Hashem, and to the Rebbe for His incredible Brochos, we are thrilled to share that we have signed a contract to purchase a future home and community...
Unplanned Camp Visit Delights Children with Special Needs
While Mrs. Chani Majesky was upstate speaking in numerous bungalow colonies at Friendship Circle’s annual package parties, she and her husband Rabbi Berel Majesky had a few hours to spare and...
FC Moms Celebrate with Garden Party
Raising a child takes a lot of work: making sure they receive the right education, make good friends, feeding them, and clothing them… it’s a lot. Now add a diagnosis...
“I can also be a Kol Hatorah Kid”
Story via Anash.org Yosef Yitzchak Handler, a member of Friendship Circle of Brooklyn, writes how he always wanted to join the Chidon, and what happened this year that made it...
Volunteer Appreciation Garden Party Inspires
Friendship Circle Brooklyn celebrated another full year of volunteering with a grand Appreciation Garden Party for their girls division. The setting was perfect. A large and airy outdoor space, beautiful...
Hundreds Attend Art of Freindship Hakhel Event
Hundreds of men, women and children visited the Friendship Circle of Brooklyn’s annual art gallery event, “A Hakhel Experience,” in collaboration with the Bear Givers Foundation. Children and young adults...
A Meaningful Purim with Friendship Circle of Brooklyn
The night before Purim Rabbi Berel Majesky made a call to a local residence we had just heard about, housing adults with special needs. “Can I lein Megilla for the...
Making Purim a Giving Experience
On a day like Purim, the reality of having a child attend a school out of Crown Heights hits hard. While most children have class meet ups, friends popping by,...
Friendship Circle Hosts Motzei Shabbos Hakhel
I walked into a room filled with families that have a child with special needs. I looked around and wondered to myself: “Why did all these people show up? We...
This mother was SHOCKED
These two 8th graders left the mother speechless. After all, she knows her daughter better than anyone else in the world. She knows what her daughter can achieve, and what to...
Not the Largest Menorah
At the annual Friendship Circle Brooklyn Chanuka party, the Menorah was not the largest. The crowd though, was! In the spirit of Hakhel, FC hosted the largest ever family Chanuka...
FC Holds Volunteer Orientation
Friendship Circle kicked off its Friends at Home program after Tishrei, with separate orientation events for their male and female high school aged volunteers. It’s hard to gauge the impact...
We couldn’t get a picture…
To these kids it was the most normal thing in the world. But when I walked in, I was moved to tears. A group of neuro-typical children were playing a...
Our Father, Our King
As the Aron opened, and the two Sifrei Torah came into view, a lump formed in my throat. “A King can only be a ruler, if He has a kingdom.”...
Summer Sensitivity Series Comes to Instagram
At the beginning of the summer, the Friendship Circle of Brooklyn took to social media to bust myths and create further understanding within the community. Hitting 10K views in a very...
Bochurim Celebrate a Year of Volunteering
To cap off a year of amazing programs at Friendship Circle, FC treated the Boys Division volunteers to a delicious end-of-year barbecue. The barbecue recognized the dedication of the volunteers...
Friendship Circle Brooklyn Volunteers Thanked at Garden Party
Friendship Circle Brooklyn celebrated another full year of volunteering with a grand Appreciation Garden Party for their girls division. The setting was perfect. A large and airy outdoor space, beautiful...
Hundreds Attend ‘Art of Friendship” Gallery Event
Hundreds of men, women and children visited the Friendship Circle of Brooklyn’s annual art gallery event, “The Art of Friendship: Land of Israel,” in collaboration with the Bear Givers Foundation....
“Applesauce! That’s what I want.”
“Applesauce! That’s what I want.” It was a week before Purim when we received a call asking what our son would enjoy in his Shalach Manos. For many mothers, this...
Holland? I wanted Italy!
“Welcome to Holland.” “Holland?!?” you say. “What do you mean Holland?? I signed up for Italy! I’m supposed to be in Italy. All my life I’ve dreamed of going to...
FCBK Celebrates Yud Shvat
Some young adults with special needs don’t have as many opportunities where they can feel like they are “one of the Bochurim,” as they attend schools or dayhabs outside of...
Large Party Celebrates “Thank You Hashem”
Photos by Andrea Scrivanich and Veronica On the first night of Chanukah, families at Friendship Circle of Brooklyn experienced a Chanukah like none other! After receiving their customized Thank You...
FCBKLN Celebrates Yud Tes Kislev
On Yud Tes Kislev, Friendship Circle of Brooklyn hosted a grand Farbrengen. Boys with special needs and volunteers gathered to socialize, farbreng, and enjoy a delicious fleishig Seudah. Rabbi Chaim...
FC Volunteer Orientation 5782
Friendship Circle of Brooklyn kicked off the year with a grand Volunteer Orientation for their girls’ division. At the “Say Cheese!” themed event, the volunteers were treated to dairy refreshment...
Kidpreneurs Experience the Gift of Giving
Friendship Circle of Brooklyn just concluded a week-long fundraising campaign which was, remarkably, conducted entirely by children. Some thirty five groups of children signed up to raise funds by running...
Friendship Circle Boy Volunteers End Year with BBQ
To end off a year of amazing programs at Friendship Circle, FC treated the Boys Division volunteers to an end-of-year barbeque. The dedicated volunteers use their one-hour dinner break to...
Friendship Circle Unveils Mural
This past Sunday, Friendship Circle of Brooklyn unveiled a new mural on the corner of Kingston and Lefferts Avenues. The entire community was invited to join the festivities. The mural is...
One Father, One Nation – VIDEO
One Father, One Nation ואב אחד לכולנה Join us on Sunday, June 6, 2021, as we celebrate friendship and unity on Kingston Avenue! Come by to experience the joy and...
Friendship Circle Support Groups Get an Upgrade
By Devora Korolitzky Being the parent of a child with special needs is not easy. From the endless appointments and the piles of paperwork to the emotional toll it takes...
Friendship Circle Families Receive Pesach Gifts
Friendship Circle of Brooklyn will be distributing Pesach gifts to FC families, including a Pesach crafts, and a case of wine sponsored by Wine by the Case. Mendel and Yuda Majesky, Shluchim...