(L-R) Adam Katzman, Jonathan Spiller, David Solooki, Beni Snow
Hi! My name is Jonathan Spiller and I am a member of New England Yachad. Yachad makes me happy to be who I am and has given me so many great friends who support me all the time. A lot of my friends are high school students, but no one cares about my age. I have formed strong bonds with my friends from Yachad and they have fun hanging out with me at Yachad events and outside of Yachad. A few friends and I have gotten together to play basketball and get ice cream, just for fun. My friends always want to hear about how I am doing and we talk about my recent photography exhibits, recent movies I have seen, my watercolor painting class, and anything else I want to talk about. They are patient with me when I speak to them. Sometimes I hesitate when I speak because I am nervous, but I get encouragement from my friends and I take my time speaking. At Yachad, I am not judged in any way when I speak publicly, or in general. The people I’ve met through Yachad think of me as a true friend, and we support and learn from each other. I have learned a lot from my friends – most of all, that I can be myself and do things I like to do. I learned I am not too old to color on paper or go to Bugs Bunny festivals with friends, or to do anything else that I enjoy. High school Yachad participants, like the New England teens from Maimonides School and Gann Academy, are making a difference in people’s lives. My friends from Yachad motivate me to try new things. Yachad is a big part of my personal ner tamid, my guiding light. The light that shines from Yachad shines within me.
This is an article from Belong Magazine 2014. For more information, or to receive your own copy contact belong@ou.org