{"id":3906,"date":"2017-03-15T12:39:57","date_gmt":"2017-03-15T16:39:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ezermizion.org\/blog\/?p=3906"},"modified":"2017-05-01T14:01:34","modified_gmt":"2017-05-01T18:01:34","slug":"special-purim-fun","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ezermizion.org\/blog\/special-purim-fun\/","title":{"rendered":"Special Purim Fun"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"clown<\/a>
Purim fun<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Special children are unique. Their abilities are unique. Their understanding is unique. Their needs are unique. Should that mean that they cannot participate in the joy of Purim, a day that is often termed \u2018the children\u2019s holiday\u2019?\u00a0 is it possible to create a unique Purim atmosphere, geared especially for them?<\/p>\n

A \u2018Special\u2019 Purim carnival?<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

With funding donated by a very generous Ezer Mizion benefactor in honor of his mother\u2019s 85th<\/sup> birthday, this grand event took place. This wasn\u2019t just a low-key, simple carnival. It was a happening! Over 100 Special Needs Children attended. The children were on a high. Their parents were riding right with them on cloud nine, ecstatic that these precious children were able to experience a Purim in a way that they never could have accomplished.<\/p>\n

\u201cYair came home so excited. We didn\u2019t recognize him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy other children were jealous and wanted to know if they could also come next year!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo many surprises!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou made our whole Purim!\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"
Accepting a Special Child<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For one mother, at least, this day marked a major change in her family.\u00a0 Paralyzed by shame, she has been unable to accept her child. Her child attended Ezer Mizion\u2019s Afternoon Club for Special Needs Children and the mother always insisted that our driver never to stop in front of the house so people should not see her child. On this special day, the child’s volunteer, who accompanies her home on the van each day, called the mother as they were driving down her block. \u201cThis is a must see! You won\u2019t believe this! You won\u2019t even recognize your daughter. I can\u2019t wait to show you how cute she looks! And she has become best friends with a clown. You won\u2019t believe it!\u201d The mother actually got excited, came down, for the first time in public! In full view of everyone in the neighborhood! She asked the driver to stop in front (!) and she made him wait, as the neighbors looked on, while she took pictures of her little girl with the clown and her volunteer. This was a real milestone for that mother, in helping her accept her child!! What a happy moment for all of us.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The carnival is in full swing. Come on in, dear reader, and lets take a peak. In every corner, there are volunteer clowns dancing with the children and creating that electric Purim atmosphere. There\u2019s a live band that doesn\u2019t allow anyone\u2019s feet to remain still. Shmuly is getting a shoulder ride on one clown. Another one is letting Yossi \u201cbeep\u201d his nose.<\/p>\n

\"mask\"<\/a>
Purim Mask<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Dovi is wearing a mask that he just finished creating at the \u201cMask Booth\u201d. Shuey is getting in line so he can make an even more funny one.\u00a0 Oops! Shuey got a bit too excited and accidently pushed Yitzy. His counselor helps him say \u2018I\u2019m sorry.\u2019 A contrite Shuey gives Yitzy a big hug.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Wearing their new masks Shuey and Yitzy run to the Petting Zoo. Yitzy tries to put a mask on the rabbit but he doesn\u2019t like it. His counselor helps him put the mask back on his own face and Yitzy settles down on the floor.\u00a0 His face lights up as the counselor gently places a hamster on his lap. With one finger, he tentatively strokes the hamster\u2019s soft fur. Shuey is holding a rabbit and softly singing Mi Shenichnas Adar to him. (On this glorious afternoon of miracles, we would not be surprised to hear the rabbit sing along.)<\/p>\n

\"OLYMPUS<\/a>
Ezer Mizion’s Petting Zoo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

At the far corner at the Balloon Booth, Avi and Nachy are watching in fascination as a red balloon suddenly becomes a horse and a blue one is transformed into an elephant. The counselor offers them the chance to create faces for them and the boys happily sit down to work on their masterpieces to take home to show Mommy and their siblings. It\u2019s not often that they have something so special to bring home to their families.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Chaim races over to Avi, his best friend, and, with a flourish, hands him a package. \u201cIt\u2019s Shalach monos,\u201dhe shouts in glee. \u201cI made it myself!\u201d He sure did! At the Purim Kitchen Booth where the children were able to make their own chocolate rum balls for shalach monos.\u00a0 Everywhere you look, some little boys are handing brightly colored packages out to their friends. Others are clutching them tight, planning to give them to Mommy.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Wow! There\u2019s Zalmy almost as high as the sky. He\u2019s jumping on the blown-up castle with Levi. Soon they topple in a heap of arms and legs, romping in delight. Now up again as they try to jump so high to reach the white cloud overhead.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Purim Carnival Fun<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Who\u2019s that? It looks like a short clown, only three feet high. Oh, it\u2019s Moshie. Looks like he\u2019s been to the Make-up Booth where the volunteers gave him a terrific clown face. There he is dancing with one of the grown-up clowns, in rapturous ecstasy.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Soon this heavenly day began winding down. Ezer Mizion certainly didn\u2019t expect the children to be able to settle down for a quiet supper in their homes so supper was served a part of the fun. The day was ending but not before each child was taken to the Photography Booth where his picture was taken and placed in a magnet to bring home to his family. For his other hand, he received a decorated goody bag plus a helium balloon, souvenirs of, what was for many, their first real Purim Fun Day.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n\"Facebook\"<\/a>\"twitter\"<\/a>\"pinterest\"<\/a>\"linkedin\"<\/a>\"mail\"<\/a>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Special children are unique. Their abilities are unique. Their understanding is unique. Their needs are unique. Should that mean that […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[97],"tags":[753,15,755,69,63,754,432],"class_list":["post-3906","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-special-needs","tag-carnival","tag-clown","tag-downs-syndrome","tag-purim","tag-special","tag-special-children","tag-special-needs"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ezermizion.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3906","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ezermizion.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ezermizion.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ezermizion.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ezermizion.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3906"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/ezermizion.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3906\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4004,"href":"https:\/\/ezermizion.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3906\/revisions\/4004"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ezermizion.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3906"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ezermizion.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3906"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ezermizion.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3906"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}