Aislinn featured in Detroit Jewish News Editor's article

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8/17/2007 9:04:00 AM Email this article • Print this article Aislinn Wendrow, center, wearing her benefit run medal, works with tutor Lieberman, left, and bat mitzvah tutor, Rivky Mann, at the Shul.LOCAL VOICES: Aislinn's Inspiration SklarEditorShe can't speak but is very bright, deeply caring, funny and a good athlete. She's also a

poet. And she's studying to become a bat mitzvah. She uses a device called a lightwriter and a laptop computer to communicate.Aislinn Wendrow, 14, has regressive autism, a neurological disorder that didn't manifest itself until she was about 18 months old. Developing normally as an infant, she had a small vocabulary and used three phrases at the age of 18 months, then stopped progressing. Eventually, she lost her speech."Aislinn did not enjoy the normal elementary school experience," says her father, n. "She was assumed to be cognitively impaired by educators despite our knowing different. When she moved on to middle school, my wife, Tali, and I dug our heels in, insisting that she be afforded academic and general access to the school experience."Aislinn will enter Walled Lake Central High School this fall after graduating middle school with honors. In middle school, she did the same coursework as her peers with some accommodation for her

condition.This summer, this energetic and determined teen is training with her high school cross-country team while learning with Rivky Mann at the Shul-Chabad Lubavitch in West Bloomfield. As part of her bat mitzvah celebration on Sept. 1, Aislinn will share her dvar Torah, read by her mother, on tikkun olam, repair of the world. Her brother, Ian, will observe his bar mitzvah then."Aislinn has a thirst for knowledge," says Mann, whose bond with her young charge continues to grow tighter. "She absorbs like a sponge, is receptive and wants to hear more. She remembers things very well." Driven To SucceedAs we usher in Elul, a month of introspection and spiritual invigoration for the High Holidays, Aislinn's amazing story really resonates. She exemplifies courage and commitment against adversity. And she's inspiring. Last week, she was camping up north with her cross-country team. On Sunday, she was an age-group winner in a 10K run to

benefit Hospice in Livonia. She ran as part of the West Bloomfield-based Friendship Circle/Achilles Club team. Aislinn's body language yields a strong will to learn. "She can sometimes look dreamy, but I am always surprised by her answers - she's taking it all in," Mann says.Despite special needs, Aislinn shuns special attention. At her first bat mitzvah lesson with Mann, she laid the groundwork for how she wanted to learn. She typed: "Mom, go away - this is our private time together preparing for my bat mitzvah."The depth of Aislinn's drive percolates from any conversation about her. "We are honored to be a part of this process," says Rabbi Kasriel Shemtov. He and his wife, Itty, make the Shul pulsate for Jews of all backgrounds. "We see firsthand how Jewish education is for all and we can always find a way to make it work. This is our goal at the Shul." After her Sunday-morning study sessions with Mann, Aislinn meets with

her tutor, Lieberman of Novi, who uses the Facilitated Communication method devised by McClennen, professor emeritus of special education at Eastern Michigan University. Lieberman is a school teacher.Aislinn's Holocaust poetry displays perspicacity and compassion. The following verse comes from a 2006 poem she wrote after visiting the Holocaust Memorial Center on the Zekelman Family Campus in Farmington Hills:On the life of truth, freedom was pilloried.On the opportunities not allowed, souls pitched into the garbage dumps.On the disdain of evil doers, hell reigned.On the whim of the persecutors, many died.On the bigotry of the ignorant, thousands were pushed into slavery.On the long road to oblivion, too many suffered.On the fear of others, few resisted.On the hope of survival, few lived.On the witness of the victims, mankind must heed the lesson.Very Much A

GiverBassie Shemtov heads Friendship Circle's LifeTown, formally the Weinberg Life Village, which gives the kids and their friends the chance to learn and practice life activities like banking, scheduling appointments with a dentist or physician, navigating traffic signals, and buying tickets for the 22-seat movie theater. Friendship Circle, led by Bassie's husband, Rabbi Levi Shemtov, unites teenage volunteers and kids with special needs for hours of fun, friendship and shared experiences. Hannah Cohen, 17, of West Bloomfield is Aislinn's 1-on-1 teen partner."Aislinn is friendly to everyone," says Bassie. "I would imagine that not having speech would be difficult and cause frustration when interacting with people, but Aislinn is always sweet - at the ready with high-fives and hugs."Beyond that, Aislinn runs with Friendship Circle volunteers, but often is the motivator to push farther, thanks to her grit and determination. She's a serious runner

who wants to do a marathon.Aislinn Wendrow clearly sets high goals.Bassie Shemtov, one of Jewish Detroit's most engaging leaders, beautifully captured why this West Bloomfield teenager who can't speak has given to others so much in the way of life's lessons: "With her parents' belief in her and constant support and effort, Aislinn has really shown us what you can accomplish when you set your mind and heart to it."

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