Lubavitch Children’s Center in London Wins Prestigious Award

by Kayla Rosen – chabad.org

With the mayor of London’s highest stamp of approval, the Lubavitch Children’s Centre in the Stamford Hill area was recently recognized for its achievements in promoting children’s health, well-being and development. As the recipient of the Gold Award of the Healthy Early Years London program, it was cited as a model for other family centers throughout the British capital.

Established in 2009 by Rabbi Sholom Ber and Devorah Leah Sudak, the Chabad-Lubavitch Children’s Centre provides services to the thousands of Jewish families from a wide variety of backgrounds and customs who live in the area, including an ever-growing number of younger families. The LCC was built alongside Stamford Hill’s Lubavitch House, established in 1959 by Rabbi Sudak’s late father, Rabbi Nachman Sudak, which today serves as a Jewish community center with an active synagogue, school, clubhouse and community hall.

As the sole Jewish children’s center in Stamford Hill funded by local authorities, where about 30 Jewish babies are born each week, the LCC provides comprehensive support and guidance to young parents and their children, beginning with prenatal care before birth. New parents receive a personalized letter with the birth of their child inviting them to visit the center, learn about its extensive services and become part of the center’s growing family.

“As a new mother, there is incredible ease in having most of your health check-ups in the exact same building as your ‘Mommy & Me’ classes,” Inbar Diamant, a mother of two, tells Chabad.org. “When I first got involved, the center was truly an anchor for me. I was not only able to bond with my own children through the different classes but connect with other mothers as well.”

Today, Diamant has two children attending the center’s daycare services while she attends Pilates classes with other mothers. As a family, they enjoy participating in after-school activities and weekly programming.

‘Teach Our Children the Beauty of Judaism’

Diamant and her husband, Guy, originally from Israel, consider themselves traditional Jews. When they moved to Stamford Hill from Israel six years ago, they knew they wanted their family to be in a Jewish environment and part of a Jewish community.

“All different types of Jews come to the center, but at the end of the day, we are all Jews,” says Diamant. “It is a judgment-free place with total acceptance and open-heartedness. Whether you are Chabad, Belz, Satmar or not religious at all, we come together as Jews through the LCC and teach our children the beauty of Judaism.”

Inspired by the teachings of the Rebbe—Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory—the Lubavitch Children’s Centre believes in the importance of Jewish education and that love of Judaism begins in the home from day one.

“We’ve created a center in which Jewish families feel supported throughout the entire process of raising their families,” Devorah Leah Sudak, head of the LCC, shares with Chabad.org. “Our goal is to care for the whole family—parents included.”

While many services focus primarily on the child’s welfare, the Lubavitch Children’s Centre emphasizes the importance of family health and development as well, taking a holistic approach to early childhood education.

“A child’s environment is the single most significant influence in his or her life, and that begins in the home,” stresses Sudak. “We have seen with our own eyes the incredible impact we have had on countless families, in part because of the deep involvement parents have here in their child’s life from the very beginning.”

Helping Parents Connect With Their Kids

The majority of the LCC’s children’s programming, aside from their day-care services, are spaces where parents and children learn and connect together. Twice daily, the center holds “Mommy & Me” classes, while “Tatty & Me” classes happen weekly, giving both mothers and fathers the opportunity to spend time with their child. Center activities—whether parent-child cooking classes, arts-and-crafts or music lessons—offer parents parenting tools and techniques that they can then bring to their own homes, in addition to creating immersive, real-life experiences for the children.

“What makes the LCC unique is how interactive the programs and activities are with our children,” says Chaya Blonder, a resident of Stamford Hills and a member of the Belz Chassidic community. “My children don’t just learn about shopping at the supermarket, they actually go there and experience it for themselves. With pictures of the different foods they need to buy, our kids are encouraged to find the products themselves. They then go back to the center and cook it together!”

The center also serves expecting parents. Soon-to-be mothers have the opportunity to work with in-house midwives, and they have access to breastfeeding and weaning support after birth. Among other resources, the center provides classes on healthy eating, exercise and hygiene, as well as financial advising for families in need.

Today, about 60 families receive weekly vouchers organized by the center for fruits and veggies, and families enjoy its toy and book libraries filled with Jewish games and Torah-themed books.

“Our center is a home away from home,” asserts Sudak. “We’ve created a setting that addresses all areas of life so families can receive the support they need in one place.”

The center works in collaboration with numerous government and health organizations to ensure up-to-date resources, including yearly vaccinations and health checks.

“The warmth and care of each and every teacher and staff member are incredible,” shares Shaindel Neiman, a member of the Chabad Lubavitch community. “Not only do my kids love going to the LCC, but so do I!”