News Blog

On Sunday, May 22nd, join us at Donges Bay School in Mequon from 2-5pm for food, fun, and inflatables in celebration of Lag B'Omer.  Friendship Circle will have all the inflatables to themselves for a half hour before the event opens to the general public (1:30pm), so don't miss it!

Our grand entertainer is TBA--past years have included performances from the Milwaukee Bucks Rim Rockers and the Chicago Boyz Acrobatic Team.  (Stay tuned for what we've cooked up for you this year...)

To celebrate WaterStone Bank’s 90th anniversary, they are giving away a total of $90,000 to a few local charities during the month of April, and you can help!

The $90,000 will be donated based on the votes submitted by the general public from April 1 through April 30, 2011. The lucky charity that receives the most votes will receive $30,000, and four runner ups will each receive $15,000.

Vote online here and support the Friendship Circle!

Passover will be here before you know it, and the Friendship Circle has some very exciting programs planned:

On Sunday, April 10th, both divisions of the Friendship Circle will come together for a Holiday Circle program at The Shul beginning at 1pm.  This will be a hands-on Passover experience with many different activity stations to enjoy.  Tuba Simmonds will help us make Afikomen bags; Linda and Jeff Rosen will be on hand to show us how to make matzah covers; and Shaindy Schapiro will be heading up the haroset station.  You can even make a seder plate with Friendship Circle Program Assistant Rachel Laskey.  Last but certainly not least, Rabbi Shmaya will help us make matzah during a Model Matzah Bakery and we'll also conduct a model Seder.  You won't want to miss it!

Adult Division members are sure to enjoy a special Passover Edition of our Cooking Club on Friday, April 22nd--meet at the Schapiro home at 5:00pm for the fun.  Our Chef Shaindy is working out a menu of delicious, chometz-free foods.  We'll end our event with plenty of time to get home before Shabbos begins.  All women are encouraged to light candles that evening with the special kits that will be passed out at the program.

The goldfish who served as our "tableside entertainment" during the February 25th Family Shabbat Dinner have all found homes, including two very lucky fish who were chosen to be the Chai-5 Kids Club mascots!

The Chai-5 Kids Club met on Tuesday, March 2nd with 47 children, teens, comunity volunteers, and AFC members in attendance.  Participants filled out ballots in our contest to name our mascots to delight of the children and volunteers.  The names selected were Goldie Gefilte and Shlomo Sushi.  Our other fish found happy homes with the children who came to Chai-5 (with their parent's permission).

Over 100 teens, children, family members, and community members attended our Family Shabbat Dinner on Friday, February 25th.  The evening included a moving Friendship Circle story with our Director, Rabbi Shmaya Shmotkin, and lots of tableside socializing.  Children participated and helped lead Shabbat services as we all learned the blessings to say over wine and bread.

Although we don't have any photos from the event to share due to Shabbat observance, here are a few photos from Friday afternoon of our "Live Entertainment."  These fishy friends were the centerpieces at each table during the dinner, and they were a huge hit!  Two lucky fish were chosen to be permanent Friendship Circle office residences.  Our Program Director Roberta Stein set up a fish tank complete with plants and a bubbler, and the new residents are enjoying their FC themed home. 

Participants at tomorrow's Chai-5 Kids Club will hold a contest to name our new staff members.  The rest of the goldfish will go home to Friendship Circle families and children (with parental permission).

In just a few short weeks, our Third Annual Adult Friendship Circle Family and Friends Havdallah Event will be underway! 

Please mark your calendars for Saturday night, March 26th at 8:30pm.  Our ever-popular "AFC Year in Review" slideshow will be shown, and a delicious Sweet and Savory Nosh will be served.  This year we will offer finger foods to delight your tastebuds while you mingle and schmooze. 

Invites will be hitting mailboxes via email and postcards alike in the coming days with more details to come.  If you can make it, please RSVP to roberta@fcwi.org.

On Sunday, March 13th, Friendship Circle children and teen volunteers will travel via bus to Pump It Up in Brookfield for our pre-Purim celebration.  

Pump It Up is an inflatable playland with lots of slides, ball pits, and more.  Winter Camp visited Pump It Up in December, and it was a huge hit with children and volunteers alike.

The party bus will leave from The Shul parking lot at 11:45am sharp.  We'll spend a fun afternoon enjoying all the facility has to offer.  Plus, a Purim Nosh complete with hamantaschen will be served.  The bus will return at 3:45pm to The Shul.  Please let us know if you can join us!

Due to the impending snowstorm, Chai-5 Kids Club will be cancelled for tonight, 2/1.  See you next week!

On June 5th at The Pfister Hotel in downtown Milwaukee, hundreds will gather in their biggest banquet room to celebrate friendship, our volunteers, and the achievements of those with special needs...

Will you be there?

Mark your calendars for this unforgettable evening--Save the Date postcards will follow in the coming weeks!

The Friendship Circle welcomes Rachel Laskey to our staff as a Programming Assistant!

Rachel has lived in Milwaukee all her life and attended college in Madison.  Rachel holds two degrees:  an Associate of Science in Childcare and Development and also a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Communication from Cardinal Stritch.

If you haven't met Rachel already, make sure to say "Hi!" at our next program.

Just a quick reminder to all that our Adult Division Drum Circle starts this Monday, January 10th at The Shul (8825 N. Lake Drive in Bayside) from 7-7:45pm.  In total, we'll have six drumming sessions led by Kathryn Rambo, Music Therapist at the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music, culminating in a concert on Monday, July 11th.

Hope to see you there!

Friendship Circle Winter Camp 2010 was the most fun filled three days for children, teen volunteers, and adult Friendship Circle members!  There were over 30 participants each day. 

On Tuesday, December 28th, we went to the Milwaukee County Zoo.  We explored the buildings that housed monkeys, birds, snakes, fish, lizards, and large and small mammals.  Once back at our Friendship Circle homebase at The Shul, we enjoyed a pizza lunch and then participated in an interactive workshop called "See a Juggler, Be a Juggler."

Then on Wednesday, December 29th, we visited Pump it Up - an inflatable play land in Brookfield.  We frolicked in our own inflatable playground and enjoyed a delicious pizza lunch.  During lunch, we viewed a slideshow of pictures snapped by the Pump it Up staff of our fun day of sliding and jumping.

Our last day of camp was Thursday, December 30th, and it was full of surprises!  Originally, we planned to visit Sunburst Ski Lodge in Kewaskum for snow tubing, but the weather didn't cooperate.  So instead, we spent the morning at our Friendship Circle homebase playing basketball, skeeball, and making art projects.  Then, we travelled to Flabbergast in Sussex for a day at their indoor playground and arcade.  On the bus trip over, we had a lunch of deli sandwiches.  Once we arrived, volunteers and children alike had a great time earning tickets that were later redeemed for fun prizes. 

A big thanks to all of the volunteers and adult division members that helped make FC Winter Camp run so smoothly and put smiles on the faces of our special kids! 

Friendship Circle is gearing up for a amazing Winter Camp fun from Decemeber 28, 29, and 30th. 

Highlights include trips to the Milwaukee County Zoo, the inflatable playland at Pump it Up in Brookfield, and snowtubing at Sunburst Lodge in Kewaskum.  We'll also participate in an interactive juggling and balloon twisting workshop with Chicago entertainer Jason Kollum.  Participants will spend an afternoon baking delicious treats.

Registration fees are $100 per participant.  To save up to $10, take advantage of our early bird special by registering by December 15.  There is also a daily option with a cost of $36 per day.

Click here for our registration form and trip waivers, or e-mail Michal at michal@fcwi.org with any questions.

Adult Division Member Spotlight on…Aaron Gershowitz

Aaron Gershowitz has been a Friendship Circle member since the program's inception.  With the Adult Division's launch in 2008, he has joined in on these programs, too.  Aaron works at Breadsmith in Whitefish Bay.  He lives at home with his parents Cal and Rivka. Aaron and his mom take part in our weekly Mall Walking program which has served as a catalyst for other family walking teams to join in.  Aaron is also part of our Chai Notes Hand Chime performing group and attends Cooking Club and bowling events. Most of all, he enjoys our summer outdoor programs because Aaron looks forward to holding and playing with our FC mascot, Sophi!

Thank you, Aaron--we are glad you are part of our Circle!