New Chabad Center Opens Its Doors In Tottenville, Staten Island

New York’s southernmost tip has just welcomed a new Chabad Center. Tottenville, located on the south shore of Staten Island, is a quiet neighborhood with a strong Jewish population. But since its last synagogue closed down during the pandemic, local families have had to travel elsewhere for Jewish life.

Now, Rabbi Mendel and Esty Katzman have arrived to open Chabad of Tottenville, serving the community as well as the nearby neighborhoods of Charleston, Pleasant Plains, and Prince’s Bay.

Rabbi Katzman believes there are thousands of Jews in the area. “Just last week, we met over fifty families,” he said. The community is largely made up of young families and traditional households — many of them Russian and American Jews — who are excited to see Chabad take root in the neighborhood.

With the help of a local philanthropist, the recently closed synagogue was purchased and renovations are currently underway — set to be ready just in time for the High Holidays. The Katzmans plan to hold services every Shabbat, offer Torah classes, and eventually open both a Hebrew school and a Jewish preschool.