Chicago, IL — TV News has covered it and Chicago's big dailies have covered it more than once. The Mayor is behind it and there are hundreds of residents who live near it who are sitting on the edge of their seats waiting to see it happen.
Right now, the Center for Jewish Life project is a gaping hole in the ground at the corner of Clark and Chestnut on Chicago's Gold Coast with some intricacies embedded that are not so visible to the naked eye — like the Holy infrastructures of Mivkas (ritual baths) unique to downtown Chicago.
Emergency Appeal Launched by Downtown Chabad Seeks Funds to Complete ‘Center for Life’
Chicago, IL — TV News has covered it and Chicago’s big dailies have covered it more than once. The Mayor is behind it and there are hundreds of residents who live near it who are sitting on the edge of their seats waiting to see it happen.
Right now, the Center for Jewish Life project is a gaping hole in the ground at the corner of Clark and Chestnut on Chicago’s Gold Coast with some intricacies embedded that are not so visible to the naked eye — like the Holy infrastructures of Mivkas (ritual baths) unique to downtown Chicago.
But if Lubavitch Chabad has its way, it will overcome its current economic impasse, dig out of its financial woes, and turn the site into another landmark institution on a busy global landscape of spiritual havens and outposts that have made the educational, social service and outreach organization the fastest-growing Jewish movement in the world.
The organization has invested an estimated $6 million in the project and needs about as much more to deliver the stunning, architecturally-advanced Torah education and outreach center that would be the first of its kind in downtown Chicago.
“We know the lives of the people we have touched from throughout Chicago and we know the meaning they have found in the community we have built together,” said Rabbi Meir Chai Benhiyoun, director of Chabad of the Loop, Gold Coast and Lincoln Park and the planned Center for Jewish Life. “Our dream is too important to the lives of too many people — and the people we have yet to meet and touch — to let it fail.”
Against the backdrop of 1) Residents in the vicinity of the project who wait and wonder every day what will become of the idle site, 2) a group of community supporters who can’t wait for the Center to be built, 3) a Mayor who supported the project from the beginning and continues to support the Center for its ability to “save souls” and for its value as an icon and attraction for international travelers, 4) a bank with a big loan and contractors owed back pay and 5) intense pressure from many to sell the pricey parcel, the Center has launched an emergency appeal to bring the project up from the ground, where deep and basement foundations are dug along with the Mikvahs and ready to support a building,
According to the capital campaign chairman, Glenn Morris, one or two angels to help build the original project or a developer and a residential community that would support a zoning change to permit a scaled down Center and medium-rise housing on the site, would be enough to move things forward.
“I find it particularly astounding that as I walk the streets of the posh Near North section of Chicago with its beautiful glass and steel structures and monuments to every other aspect of life valued in the billions, that one or more or group of people with means have not come forward to make the statement that the neighborhood needs one attractive full spectrum Jewish institution open to all and with workout rooms to boot,” said Yehuda Sugar, a long-time community member and supporter.
The Center, occupying 25,000 square feet of treasured Gold Coast real estate at a projected cost of some $12 million including land cost, would house a world-class sanctuary, learning institution, Kosher cafe, workout rooms and meditation/mind-body programming in an effort to share on a wider scale its trademark offering: Highly transformational inwardly focused Jewish teachings, doled out intimately and personally to one to a dozen students at a time and closed to no one, including members of other faiths.
The rabbi and his wife as co-directors with the help of 2 other teachers and 2 administrators, currently offer their programs — pre-school, adult classes, individual and marriage counseling and Shabbos and Festival services — from a crowded three-story brownstone on Dearborn Parkway and offices in the Loop after being sent by the Lubavitcher Rebbe in 1987 to provide outreach and education services in downtown Chicago.
With or without the building, the work of two decades continues, said Rabbi Benhiyoun, raised and educated in Israel and later in New York, where he received rabbinical ordination at Central Lubavitch Yeshiva.
“Our work is to help people find out who they really are,” added the rabbi with a big smile. “We do that by sharing and teaching the 5,000-year old lessons of the Torah that apply to everybody. Just as the essence of the Ten Commandments has become the foundation for civilized nations, the teachings of the Torah and Kabbalah — mystical Judaism — are something we share with the world and that we continue sharing with larger and wider audiences.”
Meanwhile, the community and the rabbi continue to work every day to make the Center a reality. And against all the odds — a trademark theme of Lubavitch the world over, they know they will succeed. After all, who would have thought a 30-foot, 5-ton Menorah would ever have become companion landmarks in downtown Chicago during Holiday season…and the rabbi with other rabbis and the statewide Lubavitch organization, made that happen.
A friend and student
Meir Chai and Rivka are visionary shluchim who have truly revolutionized Jewish life in downtown Chicago. The dozens of Baale Tshuva that call them spiritual “parents” are proof that they continue to change lives. There must be someone out there who can give them the help they need to take this next step!
River North Jew
I have been to hteir services and have interaction with Meir Chai…and he needs to maybe change the message of messianism vis-a-vie the Rebbe and more money will come to this project…..rught now about 5 blocks away is a non-Chabab orthodox shul that attracts between 100 to 125 every shabbos and it seems to fill the niche very well, even without a shul rabbi …so maybe Meir Chai can learn something…this is not meant as criticism…but as an observation from a jew who knows the situation…I hope you print this…
out-of-town- admirer.
attn “river north jew”. ive been there many times as well. i disagree. that shul you are refering to isnt orthodox and doesnt have 100+ people attending. the shul mostly has old people going there and a non kosher mechitza. we as chabad dont compromise our Judaism to recieve money. the chabbad house bh is very succesful in its shlichus sprouting many families kah. all frum, lubavitch, and keeping all halachos. the only thing missing is some money to spread their work to other families. imyh the Rebbe will send His brachos,and the rest of Downtown will be able to benefit from the amazinng work the shluchim do there.P.S. being that you live near by, maybe you should check out the place a litle more and support the effort of spreading Judaism to Downtown chicago.
Chicagoan
Rabbi and Mrs. Benhiyoun are very special Shluchim– they’ve built up a community of Mekuravim, now 100% Lubavitchers with beards, kapotes, and all who are sending their kids to the Cheder. Many Shluchim are “in touch” with Mekuravim, but to have such a strong core group is just another sign of their “special touch.” Just like we are taught not to compromise with Torah-inyonim, Rabbi Benhiyoun is not interested in compromising in his Center for Jewish Life; and it will come through, it will be a reality– now who wants the great zchus of sponsorship!?!?
Friend and Colleague
Rabbi Benhiyoun has raised more money than most of his fellow shluchim the world over. He is short on funds because of the magnitude of his vision and the expensive parcel the Center sits upon, coupled with the attempt to realize a design that is fitting for the neighborhood. Despite that, each year through his and his wife’s careful treatment of each individual Jew, an increasing number of people become full spectrum observant Jews capable of influencing other Jews in the proper way through Torah, strengthening Israel as a Nation and Chicago as a city.
There is nothing about Rabbi Benhiyoun’s Judaism that turns people away unless one is uncomfortable with the ages-old Jewish principle of following the vision and dictates of a Rebbe.
As far as I know, they don’t count Jews at his organization as so many to impress.
river north jew
Dear out of town admirer…maybe you didn’t get the message…the message is that Meir Chai has a problem attracting enough jews just for a minyan…and it has nothing to do with the size of the mechitza nor amount of “halacha” you say chabad observes…it ha to do with the message he delivers in that the rebbe is the messiah…just like most Chicagoans…we support the message of the love of jews and yiddishkeit…and you are very much wrong with regards to the size of the Elm street minyan…..maybe from out of town you looked through the window at this din if sin…but next time come in and count…I have been their at least 100 times and they have no problems attracting a large crowd…next time you think a place isn’t observing all 613 mitzvot…you may want to check it out and aslo when Meir Chai had a minyan in lincoln Park..just north of the gold coast…was their all the young people going to Anshe Shalom/??…remember its the message not the size of the l’chaim…
The Woodstock Gentile
It Sounds like the river North Jew needs a bigger L’Chaim