OHEL Bais Ezra’s Sibshops Program Empowers Siblings Who Have a Brother/Sister with a Disability
Whether from a family with a child challenged by Autism to Down Syndrome, a diversity of siblings – Ashkenazi to Sephardi, Chassidic to Modern Orthodox, have become regular participants in OHEL Bais Ezra’s dynamic SibShops program.
These support groups in Brooklyn, Flatbush Long Island, Far Rockaway, Queens and the Five Towns - for siblings aged 7-16, successfully bring together children of different backgrounds that are the brothers and sisters of children and young adults with developmental disabilities. There are separate groups for boys and for girls.
In these family situations, while the typical sibling is characteristically very supportive in an often overwhelming environment, he or she commonly finds neither the time nor the opportunity to reflect upon or share their own inner feelings about the challenges and concerns they may face.
SibShops provides the safety in groups where these siblings can discuss their feelings, share their trials and ask the questions they would find difficult to ask their own parents.
SibShops has created life-long friendships between children of shared experiences. More and more, these sibling participants spend time together outside of their Sibshop Group meetings - in each other’s homes, weddings and more.
One parent enthusiastically said “Our daughter has made such wonderful friends through the Sibshops. This past Sunday, the girls got together to spend a good part of the day together. She said 'Mommy, we were walking together on the street, two Satmar girls, a Lubavitcher girl, and me! So we both thank you for creating this opportunity for our daughter and for making siblings of special children feel special in their own way.”
According to Chayale_Greenwal, Senior Manager of the SibShops program, “This program is a first of its kind, never has such a program been offered in the Jewish community. This program gives a voice to those siblings who have sometimes felt that they are not being heard.”
In partnership and under the leadership of Don Meyer, founder of SibShops, OHEL Bais Ezra has trained SibShop facilitators and the program is now being offered to 3 different age groups of different sexes.
The growth of the program has been phenomenal and OHEL Bais Ezra is looking to continue to break down barriers and expand even further in the New York City and New Jersey area.
The connection that the participants establish is truly unique and exceptional as one sibling stated to her mother, “These friends aren’t like my other friends there is some special connection amongst all of us in SibShops.”
For more information please call Chayla at 718-686-3497, email sibshops@ohelfamily.org visit www.ohelfamily.org/sibshops
