Our words are never chosen lightly. Children who need extra attention, help and love are known worldwide as “special,” but this does not only refer to their requirements and needs. We call them special because they are. Each smile, belly laugh, hug and achievement, no matter how large or small, touches our hearts, and is, yes—truly special.
The morning of July 7th was beautiful for the Special Children’s Center event at Rina and Ely Cohen’s home in Deal, NJ. The stage was set for these incredible children to dance—strong and proud—for a fashion show showcasing not clothing, but the joy inside each child’s heart. The kids were excited! They chose any outfit from any store they wanted. They had hair and makeup done, picked their favorite songs, and received gifts at the end of the runway, like a cherry on a sundae.
I moderated, as the crowd cheered them on, one after another, but when beautiful Joyce spontaneously broke away from her dance to hug me with more love and gratitude than I’ve ever felt, I knew why I agreed to this. Everything the Special Children’s Center does is worthwhile and necessary, in more ways than we understand.
The amazing Yaakov Shwekey powerfully kicked off the event singing our new song, “I am Alive,” recorded in Times Square and dedicated to DJ Cohen A”H, a true hero, gone way too soon. It was a day to be grateful, and to thank Hashem. Being alive is a gift; it’s all in the way we look at things. Music from The Greatest Showman filled the yard with magnificent energy, and the show began.
The beautiful Emily did back bends and splits for the crowd, little Jack danced to “Baby Shark,” and Chezky blew out candles on a giant three tier birthday cake made especially for him by DJ Cohen’s wife, Alexis. Lovely Joyce got crowned a real princess and Olivia—once a camper but now a staff member (hooray!)—received a plaque for all her efforts.
Ana looked sweet and stunning, melting our hearts with every turn, and for the finale, Miri, red-headed and gorgeous, announced her wish to go to Disney World. As the Center is often in the business of making dreams come true, Mickey and Minnie appeared on-stage with a giant check, sparking magical excitement and bringing the entire audience to their feet.
Rabbi Eli Mansour then introduced Harry Adjmi to begin the fundraising, and reminded us that the real heroes are the super moms and dads that are dealing with this challenge. He said, “Behind every special child there are very special parents.”
I met Jenine, Chaya and Richie Dweck years ago, when the Special Children’s Center was just a seedling. Today, the Center hosts over 400 children across three locations, including Lakewood’s state-of-the-art campus, covering six square miles, generously donated by the town to these kids. The Center is an essential respite for these families, bringing fun into the kids’ lives and sending them home bathed and fed.
Chaya Bender explained, “Today, kids who shared early beginnings with the Center are getting older. Elliot Tawil has led the charge to prepare them for the future, and Hashem sent Stanley Chera to make these new dreams possible. Stanley envisioned a brand new campus with room for it all, and G-d bless our donors, and Alex Adjmi for his building expertise, we’ll soon have 30,000 square feet of new space, being designed by the amazing Margalit Lankry Designs.
Our newest venture is the Lillian and Sol Goldman Training Center Café, where our special needs adults will have opportunities to test their skills at bookkeeping, inventory, stocking and serving. There will also be 13 new classrooms and therapy rooms, in addition to our running programs:
After school Program:
- 24/7 Center House
- Sunday Program
- Legal Holiday Program
- Summer Camp Program
- Integrated Daycare 0-5 years
- The Center Preschool
- Adult Daycare
- Residential/Group Home Services
- Advocacy and Case Management
- Max Harari Disney World Trip
Jenine Shwekey added, “We are constantly amazed at what these kids are capable of. So many are musically inclined. With this in mind, we introduce the Adele Hanover Music Center. The main goal at all times is to make sure every Center child feels loved and accepted. They have so much goodness inside them. Days on-stage, like these, help them remember that they are beautiful, inside and out.”
As a community we’re unique. We’re there for each other unapologetically, the hesed we perform knows no bounds, and the volunteers that line up for every cause are endless. We’d like to thank our hosts, Rina and Ely Cohen and their amazing daughter Nancy Haddad. Of course, the incredible Norma Cohen, Norma Safdieh, Audrey Dweck, and Ricky Esses Music, among so many others. Yvette Cohen, for spearheading the fashion show, Alice Hedaya and Reisa Betesh; Coquette Kids, Lil’ Swimmas, Vanilla Sky and My Getup for clothing; Ronit Maleh and Carolyn Dayon: makeup, Aimee Barnathan and Evelyn Anteby: hair, and of course, our donors, volunteers and everyone who cheered us on for a fashion show featuring laughter and smiles, and everything that makes the Center special.
To donate or volunteer please call Chaya Bender (732)
367-0099.
