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Kids of Courage Kicks Off First Winter Shabbatton in Brooklyn Sephardic Community


8.jpgTo kick off their winter season, Kids of Courage in conjunction with the Sephardic Brooklyn community of Magen David Yeshiva and Synagogue is hosting their 1st annual  Shabbatton this Shabbos, Parshas Berieshis.

Kids of Courage is an organization that allows some of the sickest and some of the bravest children and young adults to enjoy travel and fun programming throughout the year. Through the dedication of their volunteers of counselors and medical staff, children who would usually be confined to their homes or even hospital beds are now able to enjoy some of the joys of childhood and then some.

In order to able to accomplish a Shabbaton of this proportion the medical staff will need to provide 24 hour care and will need to check up on the campers overnight on a rotating basis to keep the children safe. This medical team will be led by co-founders Dr. Stuart Ditchek and paramedic Howie Kafka along with critical care nurse Sara Miriam Kaplan and other medical staff .

In this spirit, Kids of Courage director and co-founder Ari Adlerstein, Program Director Ari Dobkin, Menashe Freidman, Raphi Bollag, Abie Abraham, Diana Haddad along with a great group of volunteers have meticulously planned the programming for this Shabbaton. This includes multiple events for the yeshiva, synagogue and community members to join in the fun, including an Oneg Shabbos and community hosted Shalosh Seudot. From the moment the Kids of Courage arrive until the beautiful Melave Malka that concludes this momentous weekend, each event is one that is sure to inspire all those involved.

The Sephardic Brooklyn community has opened their hearts and homes to these courageous kids and will be hosting the 60 Kids of Courage campers and the over 70 volunteer staff who are necessary to enable these children to travel.

To further the beauty of this event, twenty five Magen David High School seniors have been invited to join the Kids of Courage team. The organization hopes to give these students as well as the Sephardic Community a rare insight into the challenges these sick children face on a daily basis. In addition to the basic necessities for each camper, many of these campers will need the assistance of the staff setting up their oxygen, feeding pumps and ventilators within the community homes and at events.

While preparation for this Shabbaton is a huge undertaking, the staff of Kids of Courage is already looking ahead to the future in hopes of bringing a various communities closer to the challenges faced by individuals with serious illness.

Kids of Courage is an all volunteer not for profit 501c3. There are no salaries or compensations, however as this Shabbaton will surely show there is a lot of heart, hope and courage.

For more information, to donate or volunteer visit them at www.kidsoc.org or email [email protected]

(Akiva Riverdaleberg – YWN)



7 Responses

  1. This guy, Ari Adlerstein,is a young man who always thinks about other and makes time for them, despite of his very busy schedule. A true Tzaddik! May hashem repay him for his chesed with banim zecharim.

  2. The Fact that,Kids of Courage is a charitable organization, there is no charge to any participants,there are no salaries or bonuses for any staff member, and that all staff is fully volunteer is` truly amazing and huge Kiddush Hashem. Dr D, Howie K, Ari D, Ari A, Menashe F,Levi D, Moishe H, Akiva T and Farrah Elliott should be blessed!

  3. We’ve been personally touched by the incredible work of these altruistic personalities. Kudos to Sara M Kaplan, an angel of a nurse who has the ability to give and give without taking in return. May Hashem bench all the dedicated volunteers with continued hatzlacha and brachos.

  4. Thanks must really go to Alex itzkowitz and yehuda cohn. Without their medic coordinatorship and planning the shabbaton would not have happened. Alex must also be thanked for his specialty in communication equipment which enabled the medical and head staff to communicate 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. These bochrim are great catches! one word..wow!

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