Friendship Circle banquet

14 May 2026, 9:55 am

From left: Lisa and Dan Serviss, Barry Mandelbaum, Cheryl Burstein, and Toba and Rabbi Zalman Grossbaum. Mr. Mandelbaum, chair of Mandelbaum Barrett PC, and Ms. Burstein, its COO, accepted the award on behalf of the firm.

Rabbi Levi Grossbaum, second from left, and his wife, Esty, stand with honorees Neeli and Michael Margolis and members of the Margolis family. Toba and Rabbi Zalman Grossbaum are at the right.

Agam Berger survived Hamas; here, she plays the violine.

Rabbi Zalman Grossbaum, left and Toba Grossbaum, far right, Friendship Circle board members David and Dara Orbach, honorees Marlene and Larry Ritter, center, and the Ritter family

Rabbi Zalman Grossbaum, left, and Toba Grossbaum, far right, with Judy Elbaum, second from left, and her family, honoring the memory of Steven Elbaum.

Hannah Herbert and Jeffrey Shoenfeld are participants in Friendship Circle’s adult day program.

More than 600 guests attended the April 29 Friendship Circle banquet in Livingston. This year’s gala honored Mandelbaum Barrett PC, Neeli and Michael Margolis, and Marlene and Larry Ritter. Steven Elbaum, z”l, was honored with a tribute in his memory.

Violinist Agam Berger, a young Israeli soldier and former hostage whose courage has inspired people around the world, came from Israel with her mother to perform at the banquet. She was 19 when Hamas abducted her from the Nahal Oz outpost on October 7 and held her hostage for 482 days.

“We are so honored that you came from Israel with your wonderful mother to be with us tonight,” Rabbi Zalman Grossbaum, CEO of the Friendship Circle, said. “Your courage, faith and spirit have touched everyone here and everyone around the world. The performance gave the banquet meaning that went beyond a traditional dinner program. Your music served as a powerful opening to a night focused on friendship, inclusion and the impact of Friendship Circle, with moments of courage and connection reflected throughout the program.”

The evening highlighted a year of growth at LifeTown, which has welcomed 12,000 special education students over the past year, many from Title I schools. The center is also home to 900 teen volunteers and more than 1,000 adult volunteers, who help create meaningful experiences for children, teens, and adults with special needs.

“Every day, the halls of LifeTown are alive from morning until night,” Rabbi Grossbaum said. “Tonight is not only about what has been built. It’s about the people who make it possible. Because in this circle, the more you give, the more you receive. With your partnership, we will reach even more children, more teens, more adults, and more families in the coming year.”

After a welcome from Rabbi Mendy Herson, dean of the Rabbinical College of America, Hannah Herbert and Jeffrey Shoengold, two Friendship Circle adult participants, spoke about the impact of LifeTown’s programs on their lives.

“The best part is we are building friendships, we are learning confidence, we are part of a community,” Ms. Herbert said. “Friendship Circle gives us a place to grow, a place to belong, a place to be ourselves, and a place where we can give back. That is why it means so much to us.”

Rabbi Grossbaum announced the newest addition to the Friendship Circle campus — the Soul Center — an all-new center geared specifically toward adults.

“The Soul Center will be a vibrant, inclusive hub with opportunities for meaningful job training, work, volunteering, life skills, social connection, and creative expression,” he said. “It will include a restaurant, a kindness kitchen, a studio, a greenhouse, and other dynamic spaces. Just as LifeTown has transformed what inclusion looks like for children and teens, the Soul Center will open new doors for adults, creating a place of belonging and growth.”

The banquet also recognized supporters whose partnership has helped Friendship Circle continue expanding its programs and impact. Mandelbaum Barrett PC, the family of Steven Elbaum, Neeli and Michael Margolis, and Marlene and Larry Ritter were presented with awards for their dedication to creating a warm, meaningful, and inclusive environment for people with special needs.

“You can’t find this community anywhere else,” Ms. Ritter said. “There’s no place like it. We need to pay it forward and tell people about it.”

“It’s a remarkable experience working with Friendship Circle,” Mr. Mandelbaum said. “It’s a fabulous organization, and you’ve done an incredible job here. We look forward to the next chapter.”

“Steve lives on in all the good that he initiated during his sojourn here on earth,” Judy Elbaum, Steven Elbaum’s widow, said. “He lives on in the hearts and minds and in all the influence and inspiration to continue his acts of loving kindness to make the world a better place.”

Neeli and Michael Margolis have instilled that sense of empathy in their three children, who have all volunteered at LifeTown. “Through Friendship Circle, our children are learning something very powerful,” Ms. Margolis said. “They’re learning to seek out and celebrate the uniqueness of every individual. And just as importantly, they’re discovering that they have the ability to make somebody else’s life better. Every single person in this community is enriched by the work going on in this building.”

At the end of the program, guests received gift bags filled with branded summer beach towels and information about the Soul Center.

For information, go to LifeTown.com, call (973) 251-0200, or email info@fcnj.com.

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