Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By richards on February 8, 2015

VICTOR CALZADA-EL PASO TIMES Rabbis Levi Greenberg, left, and Yisrael Greenberg are announcing plans to build a new 10,000-square-foot synagogue.

Father and son rabbis at Chabad Lubavitch are celebrating the 28th anniversary with groundbreaking news.

"Chabad Lubavitch is a growing community," said the younger Rabbi Levi Greenberg. "In order to be able to function more efficiently and have enough space, we want to combine both the synagogue and education center so that we come together in a center for Jewish living."

The Greenbergs announced they are starting a new synagogue fundraising campaign and need to raise $1.5 million to build a 9,500-square-foot synagogue at their office and education complex on Escondido. The property is behind the current synagogue at 6615 Westwind, which is accessed through a set of stairs.

Rabbi Yisrael Greenberg, who started the Chabad with his wife, Chana, in August of 1986 in their living room, said it has been his vision to grow for the past two years. The synagogue follows the 250-year-old tradition of the global Chabad movement, which emphasizes "chochma, bina, daat," which are loosely translated as wisdom, understanding and knowledge.

"This is the first Jewish building in 30 years," he said. The last construction by the Jewish community was B'nai Zion built in 1983 on Cherry Hill Road on the West Side.

An office building at the front of the complex will be torn down to make room for the synagogue, which will have a facade will honor the original Chabad headquarters in Brooklyn, N.Y. The building will have three peaks, which represent the pillars of Chabad reading of the Torah, doing good deeds and prayer.

The current sanctuary has room for about 65 people and a kitchen. The new building will have a sanctuary for about 100, a social hall, two kosher kitchens (one for meat and one for dairy) and a library.

Levi Greenberg said they will be able to have classes on how to create kosher kitchens.

"We want to provide opportunities for learning, for observance and most importantly an environment that is warm and welcoming. We value the fact that they are Jewish and part of the family, no matter what they have done or are doing."

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Chabad Lubavitch begins fundrasing campaign for new synagogue, a center for Jewish living

Category: Synagogue
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