Chabad in the UK Opens State of the Art Children’s Centre

On Monday, The Chief Rabbi Lord Sacks officially opened the first UK Lubavitch Children’s Centre (LCC) in Stamford Hill. The Lubavitch Children’s Centre is a pioneering modern, welcoming space catering for the physical, emotional, intellectual, social and spiritual wellbeing of children from all backgrounds of the Jewish communities in Stamford Hill.

Supported by the Hackney Learning Trust and Haringey Council and designated a Sure Start Children’s Centre by Together for Children, the LCC is more than just a children’s centre. Fundamental to Chabad Lubavitch ethos, learning should not be confined to childhood or the classroom, but is a lifelong process. A child’s potential is best achieved in an environment in which parents develop and learn alongside their children, which is why the development of an innovative learning space for the entire family is so important to the community.

In addition to daily activities for children and their parents, the LLC also provides: healthcare services; information and support advice; a modern nursery school; and is complemented by Vista Education and Training and the largest lending and information Library in the UK on site.

Each room in the centre has been designed with the interest and comfort of children and their parents in mind, no matter their needs or requirements. All design elements of the centre such as the installation of speaking lifts and full wheelchair accessibility allow the centre to cater for those with special needs.

The state of the art facilities allow children and adults of all ages to enjoy all the services and facilities and include: activity rooms furnished with age-appropriate equipment; a split-level secure outdoor playground in our nursery; educational technology such as interactive whiteboards; and the first Jewish nursery in the area offering extended hours from 8am until 6pm.

To mark the final day of National Family Week and in honour of the opening ceremony, a craft and fun day was held for children and their families the day before.

Chief Rabbi Lord Sacks commented on the new Children’s Centre saying: “I want to wish Lubavitch tremendous success on the opening of the Children’s Centre. Standing here today brings back many memories of being here 40 years ago for the opening of Lubavitch House and building such positive connections with Lubavitch for which I am grateful.”

Addressing the children from the Lubavitch Girls School, he added: “May we always see you, our Jewish children, smiling and know that you are the future of the Jewish people.”

Speaking at the opening, centre managers Rabbi Sholom Ber Sudak and Devorah Leah Sudak said:

“Chabad Lubavitch place a strong emphasis on valuing each child for who they really are, so we have created an atmosphere of love, warmth and respect which enables everyone to develop and grow, realizing their ultimate potential. Since that potential is best achieved in an environment in which parents develop and learn alongside their children, we have created an innovative learning space for the entire family.

“The Lubavitcher Rebbe taught us the importance of education, from before birth through all stages of a person’s life. At the Lubavitch Children’s Centre we endeavour to instil a love of Judaism and Torah at every stage.”

To ensure that the Centre really is a place for the family to learn together, two additional services are incorporated. Vista Education and Training is the most experienced, accredited vocational training centre in Stamford offering education and vocational training to adults in the community. Vista offers a broad range of courses including: Information Technology; Childcare; and English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL). Vista helps young adults build confidence and self-esteem, get qualifications and acquire skills, all in a manner sensitive to the cultural needs of the community. The Lubavitch Lending Library, the largest Jewish lending and information library in the UK carries an extensive range of books in English, Yiddish and Hebrew housed in a modern, relaxing and stimulating environment. There are 15,000 volumes of fiction, biography, history and religious texts covering a wide range of subjects including Jewish tradition, heritage and culture, as well as a well-stocked collection of books for children.