Friendship Circle Houston is entering a new chapter of its inclusion work, rebranding as Circle Houston, while welcoming Rabbi Dovid and Chana Brekan as the new directors of its youth division.
The rebrand formalizes what leaders describe as a two-decades evolution: a single Chabad Outreach effort that began with visits to adults with disabilities has grown into four distinct programs now operating under one umbrella.
“We’re not trying to build more programs. We’re trying to build a stronger Jewish community,” said Rabbi Dovid Goldstein, who has led the organization’s inclusion work since its earliest years.
The name change does not create a new organization, but consolidates the following four initiatives under one identity:
• Friendship Circle – the original program, serving children, teens and adults with disabilities through mentorship, community outings and outreach to group homes and the Richmond State Supported Living Center
• Golden Circle – connecting older adults with Jewish engagement and intergenerational friendship
• Wellness Circle – mental health education and resilience programming for individuals, families and professionals
• The Gesher Network – a developing initiative supporting Jewish individuals coming out of incarceration as they reconnect with community, employment and Jewish life. Gesher means bridge in Hebrew.
From a handful of visits to 4 programs
Rabbi Dovid Goldstein leads a pre-Rosh Hashanah event for Circle Houston.
The organization’s roots trace back to December 1999, when Chabad Outreach began a small effort visiting adults with disabilities at the Richmond State Center.
Five years later, in 2004, Friendship Circle of Houston was born. Pairing teen volunteers with children who have disabilities, Friendship Circle came from a model developed in Detroit in 1995 and adopted in cities across the country.
For its first decade in Houston, Friendship Circle operated as a program within Chabad Outreach of Houston. It became its own full-time organization, with independent staff, around 2014.
Over the following years, two separate tracks – youth programming and adult outreach – began to converge. Children in the program grew into adults, and their families started asking what would come next.
At the same time, the organization’s long-running adult programming kept expanding on its own.
“They were the same mission, showing up at every stage of life,” Rabbi Goldstein said.
That realization led to Circle Houston, which launched this summer.
Friendship Circle is affiliated with the worldwide Chabad-Lubavitch movement, and Rabbi Goldstein said the expansion reflects the teachings of the movement’s Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory, who taught that every person carries inherent, infinite value, regardless of ability or circumstance.
“Every soul has something to contribute,” Rabbi Goldstein said. “No Jew should ever feel forgotten.”
New leadership for youth division
Rabbi Dovid and Chana Brekan
Rabbi Dovid and Chana Brekan arrived this summer to lead the Friendship Circle youth division, succeeding Rabbi Zally and Esti Lazarus, who served in the role for 14 years.
Rabbi Goldstein credited the Lazaruses’ tenure as central to the program’s growth.
“Their love for our participants, our volunteers and our families is a big part of why Friendship Circle grew the way it did,” he said.
Rabbi Dovid and Chana Brekan’s Friendship Circle journey began in Michigan, where they experienced firsthand what it meant to create an inclusive and immersive environment for children with special needs across all diagnoses and abilities.
“That experience gave us a strong foundation in both the practical side of running a successful Friendship Circle and, even more importantly, in understanding the impact that meaningful experiences can have on children and families,” Rabbi Brekan told the JHV.
Rabbi Brekan is originally from California and loves learning Torah, history and sports. Chana grew up in Texas and has a degree in psychology, with a particular interest in the mind-body connection and the intersection of spirituality and human development.
“We’re incredibly excited to bring what we’ve learned in Michigan to Houston and to build on the wonderful foundation that already exists here,” Chana told the JHV.
“Our goal is to create a Friendship Circle that feels vibrant, welcoming and truly accessible to everyone – where children with special needs can have fun, develop meaningful friendships and be fully immersed in the experience, while teens and volunteers discover how much they can learn and grow through those relationships as well.”
Families find inclusive connections
Sarah Sapir’s family has been involved with Friendship Circle for several years.
“It has been a wonderful experience for us, especially for our daughter,” Sapir told the JHV. “The programs they offer are truly great. Everything is very thoughtful, welcoming and inclusive, and you can see how much care goes into making sure every child feels comfortable, included and able to participate.
“As a parent, that means a lot to me,” she said. “Friendship Circle creates an environment where children can simply be themselves, build friendships, have fun and feel like they belong. At the same time, it teaches all of our children kindness, acceptance and how important it is to include and appreciate everyone.
“I think what makes Friendship Circle so special is that inclusion isn’t just something they talk about; it’s something you actually feel when you’re there. We’re very grateful for the experiences and opportunities they have given our daughter and our family, and we’re excited to see Friendship Circle continue to grow.”
Jennifer Pittsford’s son Ollie, 11, is on the autism spectrum and started enjoying the Friendship Circle about six years ago.
“It has been a constant highlight in his life, providing friends for Ollie to play with on the weekends,” Pittsford told the JHV.
“High schoolers Jake Levy and Jonny DeLeef were Ollie’s first set of ‘buddies’ who would come to our house every Sunday during the school year, and the boys truly became special friends for Ollie to count on.
“After Jake and Jonny graduated, Sam Slobin and Teddy Deutser became Ollie’s new buddies, gifting Ollie with two new amazing teen friends to bond with and play with every weekend.”
As Ollie was getting older, his buddies were playing basketball at the JCC.
Slobin realized Ollie didn’t have the opportunity to play on a traditional team and formed FBA – Friendship Basketball Association, where Friendship Circle partici-
pants meet up, along with their buddies, to play basketball games tailored to their needs.
“My husband Matt and I can’t imagine what our life would be like without Friendship Circle for Ollie, and we are so grateful to have this organization as a part of our lives,” Pittsford said.
Teen volunteers find true meaning in program
Ollie Pittsford and Sam Slobin enjoy playing in the Friendship Basketball Association.
Slobin is one of hundreds of teens who have volunteered over the years. He began with the Friends at Home program, then served on the teen board in various roles, on the fundraising team and the volunteer recruitment team as vice president and now as president.
“When I started volunteering, I could not have imagined how impactful the experience would be,” Slobin told the JHV. “Ollie has become so important to me, like a younger brother.
“All I wanted was for Ollie to experience being part of a team, but it was equally meaningful for me. I was surprised to discover how much I enjoy coaching others and sharing in their successes.”
Slobin, who said he plans to stay involved after graduation, also developed a webinar and toolkit to roll out FBA to other Friendship Circles – in Maryland, California, New Jersey and Toronto.
“The relationships I have built with the participants and their families, and the teen volunteers, through Friends at Home and FBA in particular, have been a significant part of my high school experience,” Slobin said.
Coming full circle
“An inclusive Jewish community is one where a person is seen as a soul first – not a diagnosis, not an age bracket, not a job title,” Rabbi Goldstein said.
“It’s a community where kids with disabilities grow up into adults who still have friends. Where seniors don’t get quietly forgotten. Where families find real support when life gets hard. Where someone looking for a second chance actually finds one and finds it here.
“That’s the community the Rebbe envisioned. It’s the one we’re trying to build in Houston.”
Organizers said the new website will serve as a central hub for families, volunteers and donors to explore programming and register for events across all four initiatives.
“Today, the dream is bigger than any one program or population,” Rabbi Goldstein said. “We’re building circles of belonging – circles where every person matters.”
Friendship Circle, a 501(c)3 charitable organization, was founded by Chabad Outreach, is affiliated with Chabad of Texas and is an Affiliated Partner of the Jewish Family Service Alexander Institute for Inclusion. FC also receives funding from the Jewish Federation of Greater Houston.
Learn about upcoming programs and discover how you can get involved at CircleHouston.org.