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Friendship Circle Takes a Stand Against Bullying
Some 200 students gathered recently at the Berman Theater inside of the Jewish Community Center of West Bloomfield, MI for the “Upstander Unite” event.
This event celebrated the final culmination of eight months of anti-bullying training for five local high schools in Metro Detroit. The program is a special project of Friendship Circle, a nonprofit created to help disabled children. After spending a full year in development, the Upstander curriculum kicked off in the five high schools in the fall of 2011 with the support of the Walmart State-Giving Foundation.
The Upstander Unite event began with a video, recapping the years’ worth of activities and lessons and was followed by a game show that tested the knowledge of each school on the topic of bullying.
Rob Aquilina, a Walmart manager and member of the committee that awarded Friendship Circle a grant, spoke to the audience saying: “I am here to commend you the students, and to tell you that you have Walmart’s full support in your commitment to being an Upstander.”
Upstander Unite also hosted nationally renowned speaker, John Halligan as the main event of the morning. Halligan’s 13-year-old son Ryan committed suicide nearly 10 years ago after months and years of ridicule and humiliation. Now, Halligan who is a former chief executive officer of a major corporation has dedicated his life to telling Ryan’s story in an effort to educate young men and women on the evils of bullying. As he spoke of his fond memories of his late son and the tragic emotional journey of his family, all were deeply touched and inspired to not allow anyone to go through the pain that Ryan faced as the victim of bullying, a nonprofit spokesman said.
The development of the Upstander program began in 2010 and was overseen by a leading expert in the field of anti-bullying and self-determination; Jina S. Yoon of Wayne State University. With developmental funding in part from the Department of Justice and the Walmart State-Giving Foundation, the Upstander curriculum was officially launched in five Metro Detroit high schools for the fall 2011 school semester.
The structure of the Upstander curriculum consists of eight interactive seminars that take place during the school year, rather than providing one-time exposure.
The educational material provides students with interactive activities and the opportunity to become an active part of the solution by proposing new ideas to reduce bullying within their own school environment.
Unlike most available programing — that concentrate on the perpetrators or victims in bullying situations — Upstander approaches the topic from the “Bystander’s” perspective, a category in to which the vast majority of students fall. These students are neither perpetrating nor being bullied but their presence gives an implied acceptance which may allow hurtful behaviors to continue.
As Bassie Shemtov, Director of Friendship Circle and founder of Upstander, said to the crowd of 200 students, “I want all of you in this room to remember that you have the power to stand up against not only bullying, but the negative behaviors that lead to bullying like gossiping, judging, excluding your peers. You have been educated and empowered and now it’s your turn to lead the movement.”
Hmmm
Does this include not bullying other shluchim internally as well?
shosh
bullying could lead to personality disorder later in life and then the person can bully their spouse and others. it is a huge issue to deal with this in many many ways
I won’t comment on bullying other shluchim but I can say that internal community affairs would probably not be as they are, if people would have been dealt with when they were young.
if the home cannot do right, then the school should, and like wise the other way
Enough with these Circles already
Maybe someone can explain to me when Shlichus became a format for things like “bullying”
While this is an important matter, Shluchim should really expend their energies-Koichos in being Mekarev Yidden to Yiddishkeit. Why are we looking for more Mivtzoim, when the Rebbe gave us 10 important ones. Lets put teffilin on Yidden, Bar Mitzvah Lessons, Neshek, and teach Torah. Once we have done all that, maybe we can go humanitarian.
Honestly, Friendship Circle, Bullying Circle all these circles??? This is not what Shlichus is about!!
Enough!!! Stick to the Basics Folks…
to # 3
what about giving Matzah for Pesach? ot Lulav on Sukoth? or Shifor on Rosh Hashona? or migilah on Purim? need i go on? the 10 mivtzoim is a vehicle to be mekarev yiden, not only a beginning and an end.
any peulah that will result in a kidush sheim shomaim can count for a mivtzah.
what in the world do you think “acts of kindliness” means.
BTW, don’t you think Friendship circle can ba part of mivzah ahavas yisroel?
chanoch
I want to add to #3. There are so many senior citizens and Ruassians who unfortunately have no Chabad activity whats-so -ever- eating traif. Why the only attention is given to Circles. Never ever did I hear from the Rebbe about these circles. I did hear about Tferes Zakanim and eating kosher. Of course it is important to help human beings. But the same attention should be given to the above even though you may not see money from it.
American Red cross
The American cancer society and the American Red cross etc etc. are also wonderful humanitarian organizations, (just like Friendship Circle). Yet I never saw their organizations on the Lubavitch shluchiom list and to the best of my knowledge their organizations aren’t considered shlichos and their staff aren’t shluchim.
Friendship circle
Do you realize that Friendship Circle has the most access to young Jewish teenagers who are not connected to yiddishkeit through a chabad house because so uncool. Friendship circle works hard to inspire these teens to stay connected and the families of the children with special needs to feel like they are part of a Jewish community.
I know because many of the kids and families that I am connected with are connected to yiddishket through us.
To #6
Continuin your logic:
Young Israel and other Shuls are great organizations but I don’t see them as Shluchim so why are Chabad houses that are Shuls considered shlichus?
And what about preschools? What about soup kitchens and Internet cafes in the far east?
If a moised belongs to the rebbe and does things based on the guidance from the rebbe, then the people who are working there because they want to be Shluchim of the rebbe, are Shluchim.
Shluchos
To #7 AND #8
Shluchos is comprised of two parts:
1) Its focus and goal is bringing yiddin closer to yidhikat through Torah and Mitzvhs Not that while in the process of working for some humanitarian nice cause you are also doing Mivtzyim.
There are many nice Lubavitcher’s who are in business with the goal to make a living and while in business they use their business contacts etc. for Mivtzym and that’s great and I’m sure the Rebbe is happy with that person. But obviously he isn’t an official Shiach.
2) The organization (Chabad House) whose goal is to bring yiddin closer to Yishkait does so based fully on the Rebbe approach, teachings, guidance and directives.
Last I checked Yung Israel etc. doesn’t have point 2.
#9
And you are basing your comment on what?
Safer Ha’Shlichs
Answer to #10
Learn through Safer Ha’Shlichs well and read through the answers of the Rebbe over the years regarding shluchos and you will most likely come to the same basic two point conclusion in the comment above.
To the point that Friendship Circle can sometimes reach people that a Chabad House can’t. That’s true. Same would be the case if Lubavitch would set up it’s own form of American Red Cross, American cancer society and other forms of wonderful humanitarian organizations. They would definitely be able to reach yiddin (via volunteers etc.) that a Chabad House cant.
Same is true for a Lubavitch business person who uses his contacts and tries to bring them closer to Yisishkit, he may also me bale to reach yiddin while doing business that a Chabad house may not. That’s great and he can view it as his personal way of doing Shlichos while involved in other things.
If you look through Safer Ha’Shlichs you will see that the Rebbe created an official concept called Shluchis whose direct and only goal is teaching people Torah and getting them to perform Mitzvot, brining them closer to Yiddishkit.