Rabbi Sholom, originally from Montreal, Canada, and Itta Kessler, a Boca native, founded Friendship House in 2020 with a mission of bringing friendship and support to individuals with special needs within the greater Boca Raton community. They are both proud to be a part of Friendship House, where they can make dreams come true. Dreams of a fully inclusive community, a place where everyone feels welcomed and cherished and where people of all abilities are applauded and encouraged. They are both fully invested in helping all individuals find friendship, love, and a place to call home.

Friendship House is a program that involves teenagers and young adult volunteers helping children, teens, and young adults with special needs and their families. These individuals with special needs may suffer from loneliness in addition to their handicaps. They could have the best professional help (doctors, social workers, etc.) but they don’t necessarily have friends! They don’t attend regular social gatherings like most, and their classmates and peers cannot interact with them in the same way as most. They may be missing extra attention, love and friendship from friends and people in their community. Through Friendship House they can now experience beautiful friendships that will shine through! Friendship House provides assistance to families with physically or intellectually challenged children, teens, and young adults.

Our unique formula introduces teenage and young adult volunteers to our friends and, through shared experiences, both are enriched.

Friendship House is made up of five parts: volunteers, special friends, parents, staff, and supporters. The true beauty of the circle is how we all link together to form a seamless circle of friendship. Together, we can perform miracles.

Friendship House touches so many in our community:

The child, teenager, or young adult with special needs looks forward to spending time with his or her teenage/young adult friend, as well as the special events they get to attend throughout the year.

The teenage and young adult volunteer learns the value of giving and cherishes the experience of making a difference in an individual’s life while bringing a smile to his or her face.

The special friend’s family gets much-needed respite and the pleasure of seeing their child become part of the community. They also get to share and interact with others facing circumstances and challenges similar to their own.

The supporter provides the wherewithal for Friendship House to exist. By observing the very obvious difference the program is making in so many lives, supporters of Friendship House make the smiles of these special children their own.

The staff is a team of leaders and professionals for whom the Friendship House is a labor of love. Be it through working with the children, teenagers, young adults, and parents, or planning the various activities, these dedicated men and women are the driving force behind the program.

Friendship House operates under the auspices of Chabad of Boca Raton and is led by Rabbi Sholom and Itta Kessler.