Dear Friends,

Our theme for the upcoming year is artistic expression. Like many others, I take great joy in works of art. In creating art there are countless mediums with which to express oneself. There is painting, collage and sculpture just to name a few. Within each one of these there are still countless materials one can use, such as canvas, glass, metal and stone. Even in one piece of artwork there are many materials used and various steps one must go through to reach a final result. The Jewish mystical tradition has a name for beauty, "Tiferet." The mystical definition of beauty means blending and harmonizing different aspects together to make one beautiful creation. The goal of The Friendship Circle is to bring together our community of teens and families with special needs as well as the greater community in order to strengthen us all. The beauty that Friendship Circle strives for is that of bringing together various people and creating one community of many individuals who all contribute to a complete work of art.

Best Wishes,

Esther Kaltmann