Posted to Chabad News on

Monsey Jewish Day School Goes Modular

by Mendy Rimler – Lubavitch.com

Early last May, a truck arrived at a leafy construction site in, Airmont, NY bearing an entire classroom wrapped in Tyvek. Just seven weeks later, and after many more trucks rolled in carrying similar loads, a two story, 24,000 square foot school building had completely risen from its concrete foundation.

The new school is the new home of Cheder Chabad of Monsey, a Jewish day school catering to a broad swath of Jewish communities in the Tri-state area and Monsey Bais Chaya Mushka Girls High School, which is run by Rabbi Dr. Chaim D Kagan. To build the state-of-the-art facility, Rabbi Yisroel Shusterman, Dean of Cheder Chabad says the school followed a modular building plan.

“After we outgrew our previous location, we began working on zoning permits while the contractor was busy building this structure in the factory,” says Rabbi Shusterman. Construction time is dramatically cut down with modular manufacturing which translates the architectural design into components that are built in a factory, and then assembled on site.

But aside for time savings, modular construction can shave up to 25 percent off construction costs. In this case, the school saved $1 million in construction.

For a school that opened its doors in 2000 with 15 children in a nursery class , the new building marks an inflection point for some 300 young girls who will enjoy the benefits of a brand new home. Over the course of 12 years, says Rabbi Shusterman, “we moved from place to place as our school continued to evolve and grow. Now, we’ll have space for every child in our new building.”

This is no flimsy, poorly built structure. According to Tom Hardiman, Executive Director at industry trade group Modular Building Institute, “modular construction is as aesthetically pleasing and reliable as conventional construction.”

In fact, Hardiman says that it “may be more dependable because the modules are built in a factory-controlled environment, and when the modules are placed together, it creates a very strong structure.” Factories also don’t need to wait on setbacks that plague traditional construction, like weather delays and zoning permits. Plumbers, carpenters, electricians and other tradesmen bring all the pieces together simultaneously, which results in a high quality designed and built building.

The current trend in the construction industry reflects growing interest in modular for commercial building, according to Modular Building Institute, so this campus is ahead of the curve in an industry that is poised to gain market share.

Adine Lipszyc, special education teacher at HASC and a mother of two girls in Cheder Chabad of Monsey says the larger premises is a blessing for a “new school that is growing very quickly.” Today, Cheder Chabad attracts boarding students from in the US and abroad, including Poughkeepsie and Westchester in upstate New York, Long Island NY, San Antonio, Texas, and even Prague in the Czech Republic. Inside the facility there are 30 classrooms, spacious multipurpose rooms, computer and science labs and administrative offices.

Mrs. Lipszyc is grateful for the new developments. “It’s beautiful, it’s airy and bright. It’s a huge step up,” she says. She has discerned in her children a strong sense of Jewish identity and tradition.

“I see that my older daughter wants to daven [pray], dress modestly and make the blessings before eating; she doesn’t roll her eyes at these things, she loves doing them.”

“That has a lot do with the school,” she says.

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14 Comments

  • oiyev yisroel

    rabbi yisroel shusterman dean and founder thanks for everything , without you this could not have happened.

  • pta monsey

    12 years of working day and night ,rabbi yisroel and soroh feiga shusterman its all because of you two.

  • Sad

    That there’s a whole article talking about the bricks and mortar…what about the education?

  • Monsey Friend and Admirer

    The man who got it done is the indefatigable Zalman Goldstein, the one who got it going from concept, zoning, design and made it all happen in time for the opening day of school. A real inspiration always smiling, humble, upbeat and ready to help where needed. Monsey has the best!

  • To #6

    Sad? I am grateful that you are not one of our children’s educators… Have you ever learned mishnayos midos? how much about bricks and mortar? also you may want to learn a little chassidus and use some common sense before bashing and pouring cold water on a great article.

    A community now has a building! Incredible indeed! and Wonderful that our children have a bright beautiful building to learn in. the staff and the program is already amazing. The bricks and mortar of which you speak has added so much to the school.

    Thank you to all the many people who put effort into this project! Kol Hakovod!!!

    Nearbye Shliach and school parent

  • To Number 6 -Sad-

    It’s really important that the article conveys an angle that will draw the reader into the story and capture the reader’s interest. Quality Jewish education is certainly important — and that’s specifically what this school is all about, of course — but if the writer would pontificate on the high standard of education at this school, I’m afraid this article wouldn’t be well read.

    I really think the writer did a good job finding a compelling and intriguing angle to make this story interesting for the reader, so in the end result is that more people read it and more people come away knowing about how great the education is at the school — as the article clearly states towards the end.

  • Sarah

    To #6, the angle of the article was clearly about Rabbi Shusterman building a new school during trying economic times, by building a modular building ( thereby saving $1,000,000.) Perhaps another article is in order about the education

  • Moshe R.

    This is a timely story. Thanks to the writer, and thanks to Lubavitch.com for the interesting and professional news reporting. Anytime I come across an article from Lubavitch.com I know it’s worth my time worth sharing with my community.

  • FYI

    Correction: Rabbi Shusterman started the preschool and elementary school over 14 years ago. Rabbi Kagan started the high school 5 years ago. This is an amazing show of achdus, where you have two mosdos working together, in unity and pooling their resouces to build this school. This building was not built by 1 individual, but rather by a community working together. This should have its own article.

    Let’s not forget Mr. Avraham Hayman who donated a bulk ofthe funding.

    Curreently, the pre school is run by Mrs. Yona Lazaros. The Elementary girls school by Mrs. Chaya Rosenbluh. The boys elelmentary school by Rabbi Avrohom Wolowik.

    TO #6: there have been many articles about their chinuch successes. it’s a shame that you only see the cupo half empty. perhaps you should learn more chassidus. והוא רחום יכפר עוןץץ