Aspergian Pride

After taking part in community service work while preparing for his bar mitzvah, Ari Schneider-Gans of Evesham, New Jersey, decided that he wanted to do more. He formed a group called The Spectrum of Helping Hands, whose members are all teenage boys on the autism spectrum. Since the group began in December 2006, its members have completed several community service projects.

The boys organized a fundraising walk around a lake to benefit the New Jersey Audubon Society, cleaned up the lake shore, sent packages to troops overseas and to hospice patients, and collected items for a food bank. Ari’s father, Rabbi Gary Gans of Congregation Beth Tikvah, said in an interview that he is very proud of Ari’s organizational skills and social responsibility.