Bar-Mitzvah Boy Returns Kindness to Friendship Circle

Growing up, South Euclid, Ohio resident Matthew Palevsky spent almost every summer and winter break at the Friendship Circle of Cleveland’s day camp.

“It was really fun,” said Matthew, who was diagnosed with cerebral palsy and autism at ages 1 and 2, respectively. “We’d do all sorts of different activities, go on field trips. All the counselors there were really nice and I enjoyed it very, very much.”

In lieu of gifts, Matthew’s bar mitzvah invitations asked guests to sponsor him for the Friendship Circle’s “My Walk 4 Friends” walkathon on Sept. 5, 2010.

He raised more than $1,000 for the organization.

“I knew the walkathon just came up,” said Miriam Palevsky, Matthew’s mother. “It was (the Friendship Circle’s) first one. They had done a lot for him at camp.”

Palevsky said she was floored by her son’s dedication.

“It was amazing that he was willing to give up that money that he could have gotten as gifts,” she said. “We walked the walkathon together. I’m almost speechless, my heart felt so good that he was willing to do something like that. Most kids would say, ‘No way, I want the money.’”

The Friendship Circle’s Rabbi Yossi Marozov was also impressed with Matthew.

“He created a team through our walkathon website,” Marozov said. “They did a great job galvanizing their friends and people from their synagogue to support the Friendship Circle through his walk team and to bring awareness to what we were doing.”

In order to give back to the organization that meant so much to him, Matthew began volunteering at the Friendship Circle on March 4.

“I think it’s better to give than receive,” he said. “Especially when you get things all the time.”