New Building for Detroit Yeshiva Nears Completion

A five million dollar facility equipped with new technology and living quarters is being built in Oak Park for young men studying to become Chabad Rabbis.

The new facility, called Lubavitch-Yeshiva International School for Chabad Leadership, is complete with classrooms, kitchens, study halls and living quarters. Computer technology is wired to connect the students with instructors on the other side of the globe.

Bloomfield Hills Philanthropist Alan Zekelman put up the funds for the campus. His Generosity was also key in building the Holocaust Memorial Center.

“I am passionate about the institution behind Chabad and I’m passionate about Jewish education in general,” Zekelman said. “Chabad brings passion to the world and no other institution does it the way they do it. They’re making a difference at this key time when there’s a tremendous amount of assimilation in Judaism here in America.”

Nearly 100 devoted students ages 13 to 19 from around the world hope to move from their current, cramped quarters near Nine Mile and Coolidge to the state-of-the-art facility in mid-August.

The world renowned program has one of the highest graduation rates for Chabad emissaries. Soon, its loyal students will have a proper setting to cultivate their message of love, wisdom and understanding,

“They are going to make a difference to stem the tide – reverse the tide – and keep people true to the faith that their ancestors were brought up in,” said Zekelman. “It is really slipping away to this modern world.”