World’s Largest Mezuzah Installed at New Chabad Center in South Brunswick, N.J

by Zalman Goldblatt – chabad.org

On the side of Route 130 in South Brunswick, N.J., a striking new sight is drawing both local traffic and out-of-town visitors: the world’s largest kosher mezuzah, towering over six feet tall, mounted proudly at the entrance of Chabad of South Brunswick’s newly built center since it was installed on June 13.

The mezuzah was commissioned by the children of Rabbi Levi and Goldie Azimov, who direct the center, to mark the occasion of their community’s new building. It was written by a scribe in Israel and measures two full meters (6.5 feet) in height. It surpasses the famously large mezuzahs at Ben-Gurion Airport (1.01 meters) and the Western Wall (1.4 meters), making it the largest documented mezuzah in the world.

“I was in the UAE and saw a sofer (scribe) writing a large mezuzah for someone else—nothing this big—and I asked him, ‘What’s the biggest you could do?’” said Mendel Azimov. “My parents are building a Chabad House, so I wanted something big, something special.”

He told me the issue with writing something so big is that the klaf (‘parchment’) is very hard to find,” he explains. “He said, ‘I’ll look around, and the biggest klaf I can find, that’s what I’ll do.’”

Writing of such magnitude presents rare challenges. The klaf must be made from a single, unblemished section of hide—smooth, sturdy and suitable for sacred use. Locating a hide large and flawless enough for a scroll of this size is exceptionally difficult, making the project all the more unique.

Remarkably, the scroll arrived in the United States on one of the last inbound flights from Israel just before the outbreak of the war with Iran.

While its size makes it impossible to miss, the mezuzah is not simply decorative. It was written in full accordance with Jewish law and is enclosed in a protective case at the building’s entrance.

The case itself was handcrafted from rich mahogany wood, custom-made by a private commission in New York City to reflect the beauty and dignity of the sacred scroll it protects.

A New Era for Chabad of South Brunswick

Rabbi Levi and Goldie Azimov founded Chabad of South Brunswick 23 years ago, opening the first synagogue in the township. Since then, the community has steadily grown—now home to a daily minyan, a Hebrew school and a vibrant CTeen chapter.

With participation expanding and space limited, it was time to build. The new building, located on a highly visible section of Route 130, is already creating new energy and momentum for Jewish life in the region.

“The new Chabad center is beautiful, inviting, and, more importantly, is about the people, of course,” said Jonathan Vorchheimer, a member of the community for 10 years. “I always feel welcome there. The people are special. Everybody welcomes everyone with open arms. It’s a safe space. It’s my second family.”

“The big mezuzah is a sense of pride,” said Vorchheimer. “A statement.”

Rabbi Azimov agrees. “You can see it from the road,” he said. “Last week, I saw from my kitchen a family with nine kids that came from Brooklyn just to come see the mezuzah.”

Rabbi Azimov sees the mezuzah not as an endpoint or the final touch on the new building, but as a springboard for a larger community effort. “The Rebbe, of righteous memory, always pushed us to use everything to the next level, use the opportunity.”

From now until Rosh Hashanah, the community will offer assistance to anyone in need of kosher mezuzahs for their home, with many provided at minimal cost. The program will also help facilitate home visits to inspect them and ensure they are properly affixed and kosher.

Our sages taught that when a Jew affixes a mezuzah to the doorpost, G‑d protects the home from all harm (Talmud, Avodah Zarah 11a). On the back of the scroll are three Hebrew letters: shin, dalet and yud, which spell one of G‑d’s names: Sha‑dai. Tradition, however, teaches that they are also an acronym for the words Shomer daltot Yisrael—“Guardian of Jewish doors” (Siddur of the Arizal, Kavanat Mezuzah). “This is how we prepare for a better and safer year for the entire Jewish people,” said Azimov.