On a beautiful afternoon at the Shul, a West Bloomfield synagogue, a happy crowd gathered for a bar mitzvah.
But this was no ordinary ceremony.
Danny Jonas, a 17-year-old Bingham Farms youth with autism, was about to proceed through the Jewish rite of passage.
"Never in my wildest dreams did I think this would happen," said Danny's mother, a beaming Barbara Jonas.
Last year, Barbara and Michael Jonas agreed that their son could take part in a unique, first-of-its kind program where trained teen volunteers would assist special-needs children to complete their bar mitzvah.
Called the Friendship Circle, the program - affiliated with the Chabad-Lubavitch movement - began in the Detroit area a decade ago and is now in more than 20 U.S. cities, Canada, Australia and South America.
In addition to providing a social and supportive outlet to the special needs children, the Friendship Circle provides parents with much-needed respite.
The children studied on an individual basis with professionally trained teen volunteers who also serve as their "special friends." In addition to Torah and prayer study, the group focuses on performing acts of kindness by assembling food packages for the underprivileged.
Danny, the only boy in this year's program, participated with four other special-needs teens - Lauren Ettinger, 17, daughter of Valerie Lane of West Bloomfield; Molly Grier, 17, daughter of Ronelle Grier of West Bloomfield and Eli Grier of Farmington Hills; Stephanie Harris, 13, daughter of Michele Harris of West Bloomfield; and Alyssa Gold, 13, daughter of Andrea and Randy Gold of Novi.
"Watching these kids get up there with all this love and passion for Judaism, God and the Torah was overwhelming," said Bassie Shemtov, Friendship Circle program director. "With Danny, this was a miracle that this was able to happen."
Last Friday, Alyssa Gold celebrated her bat mitzvah, the equivalent of the male Jewish rite of passage. Danny was next, and today the rest of the girls will participate in their ceremony. On Sunday, there will be a large party for all of the children, their family and friends.
Volunteers tutored the special needs children for up to eight months. Friendship Circle volunteer Danielle Depriest, 14, of West Bloomfield, started working with Danny about a year ago. "Every Thursday, we went to the library and we'd read books and sing songs," she said, referring to their friendship as "amazing."
Barbara Jonas, a nurse, praised the program. "The people involved with Friendship Circle made it fun and so stress-free for families."
Friendship Circle volunteer Chana Duchman, 20, flew from New York City to be at Danny's ceremony. "These kids aren't any different, and deserve to have their bar and bat mitzvahs just like every other person."
Ronelle Grier said she had always wanted her 17-year-old daughter, Molly, to have a bat mitzvah, generally held when girls were 12, but the "timing and circumstances weren't right," she said. "This is wonderful because she's doing it with a group with people she has grown up with."
During the 40-minute event, Danny stood quietly during the rituals, sang quietly at times and said a short prayer.
Rabbi Kashriel Shemtov told well-wishers having Danny at the synagogue enriched life there.
As the crowd scattered, Chana Duchman remarked that her friend had worked hard, "He practiced every Tuesday," she said. Asked what she thought of his accomplishment, she said proudly, "It was unbelievable."
