TEENS HELP KIDS WITH DISABILITIES HAVE FUN.

Byline: Alex Dobuzinskis Staff Writer

The Jewish holiday of Purim is about having fun, and a pre-Purim party Sunday in Agoura Hills seemed to do the trick for some special-needs children and their friends.

Through a group called the Friendship Circle that is affiliated with Chabad of the Conejo in Agoura Hills, the children are paired with teens who visit them each week. The visits give the children, including some with autism and blindness, the chance just to have fun.

Many of the children wore costumes to the party at Willow Elementary School, where they were entertained by a show, ``Mad Science.'' Then they decorated masks and made noisemakers. Teen volunteers were among dozens of people at the party.

``We tend to think that teenagers are into themselves and they just prefer to be in the mall or in a movie theater,'' said Rabbi Moshe Bryski of Chabad of the Conejo. ``And then we present the challenge to these teenagers, and you look at them: They're giving up their Sundays, they're giving up their weekends, and they're participating.''

When the Friendship Circle began in April as a pilot program, it involved only three families of children with special needs, said Devorah Rodal, 20, one of the coordinators. The program now links 70 families with about 150 teen volunteers, she said."

A couple of girls were dressed as princesses, while one boy was dressed as Batman and another went as a pirate. Volunteer Kelly Viselman, 17, who was in her soccer uniform, is paired with a 6-year-old autistic child whom she expected to enjoy the party.

``She loves painting, and she loves dressing up,'' Viselman said.

The Friendship Circle is open to all children, regardless of religion, Bryski said.

The broader community was also welcome at a pre-Purim carnival at Temple Ner Maarav in Encino on Sunday. Among the attractions for children were pony rides, a petting zoo and games.

Melissa Saray, 9, said she liked the carnival because there were ``a lot of prizes and games.''

Purim celebrates the survival of the Jews during the reign of Persia's King Ahasuerus, whose beautiful queen, Esther, revealed that she was Jewish and intervened to prevent the killing of Jews throughout the empire.

Alex Dobuzinskis, [phone]

alex.dobuzinskis(at)dailynews.com

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3 photos

Photo:

(1 -- 2) Bob Hoover, above, performs his show, ``Mad Science,'' for children with special needs and their teen-volunteer pals. At left, Tyler Kopito, 9, learns to make Purim three-corner cookies.

(3) Noah Meshwork is all smiles at a Friendship Circle party in Agoura Hills. His Batman costume was a hit with others.

Joel P. Lugavere/Special to the Daily News