Darchai Menachem Buys Building!

Gimmel Tammuz is an emotional day for most Lubavitchers. This Gimmel Tammuz was particularly memorable for the upper management of Yeshiva Darchai Menachem, who spent the morning closing on a 8,400 square feet, two floor school building located on Rutland Rd. The new building is, in the words of school Principal and director Rabbi Eyal Bension, “exactly what the students deserve.”

Rabbi Eyal Bension, was accompanied to the closing by Rabbi Chaim Perl, Director of Development, Rabbi Dovid Morosow, longtime Darchai teacher, and Lev Rivkin who acted as the loan guarantor, along with his personal friend Danny Finkleman creator of the Darchai Sparks Choir and founder of Sparks Productions. The building, which has been in talks since December, happened only because of a “chain of remarkable events,” said Rabbi Bension. “Jewish people as a whole, but people in Chinuch specifically, see a lot of Hashgocha Protis. We see that every challenge, every hiccup belongs to Hashem. We just need to make a vessel, and through the Rebbe’s Brochos, we get to where we need to go.”

Rabbi Morosow fondly reminisced about the early days of Darchai Menachem, nine years ago, when it was just a handful of students that he and Rabbi Bension taught out of their apartments. “This is a big moment, the dream from the beginning. To grow from nine children to our own building… I couldn’t miss it.”

For Yehudis Friedman, real estate broker with local firm B.H. Tal and mother of a Darchai graduate, connecting the school with the building was her way to give back to the institute that gave so much to her child. “Knowing firsthand of all the good that they do,” Friedman said, “I am especially proud to have helped them reach this milestone.”

Chaim Perl, who led the project and did much of the fundraising, was quick to credit all the supporters, from David Slager to Lev Rivkin, who came in miracle form to ensure this project got to this stage. He spoke of growing up hearing stories of Shluchim buying their first buildings, of strangers in the elevator giving the down payments just in the nick of time and of sellers who ended up giving money to the buyers.“ For six months I knew that we had those same Brochos from the Rebbe and was just waiting to see who our Mallach would be. Now, I know our latest miracle worker was Lev Rivkin.”

Rivkin was quick to duck the praise though, “It was something that needed to be done,” he said simply, “I know they will succeed. We’re only looking up from here.”

But for Perl, the story isn’t over yet – an additional $350,000 is necessary for the next stage of the project: renovating and furnishing the building before it’s ready to greet the students. “Now,” Perl said, “I’m just wondering where my next miracle will come from.”

18 Comments

  • efi b.

    wow very nice! i remember when we learned in his apt… best school ever been to. and ive been to many! great job rabbi benzion and morozov!such good news.

  • Location

    432 Rutland ave is not a very safe place to be putting our boys!

  • from the SB Club

    mazal tov and lchaim!!!
    may u quickly outgrow the building!!
    good job to the whole staff,especially chaim perl.

    ps-regarding the location,it is only a matter of time before CH expands to Rutland!!

  • to # 3

    Actually 432 Rutland will become a safer place once the boys are there!!!

    Didnt the Rebbe say that CH is from Prospect Park to Rochester Park, from Eastern Pkwy to the water (or something along those lines..)

    YDM should only go higher and higher, keep up the great work!!

  • YDM FAN

    OMG!! This is fantastic news :)

    Kudos to all involved and making it happen. These boys definately deserve their own place as Rabbi Bension puts it.

    And wow, can’t believe this was going on for 6 months, and no1 had a clue.. Hatzlocha!!

  • 1642 Carroll St

    Chaim Perl, we are so proud of you. You should only go mchayil el chayil and continue the great work you do :)

  • not a parent or student

    Mazel Tov to the school & yasher Koach to those who made it happen. May you go mechayil el chayil. You do great work.

  • Former Student

    Congratulations to my old school!I hope this is the start of many good things for the future!
    And of course i gotta give a big shout out to Rabbi Morosow and Chaim Perl! keep up the good work!

  • To # 3

    There are several families that have recently bought homes on Rutland St near to the yeshiva address. Also, Midwood St. which is the street before Rutland on the way from Empire blvd. towards Rutland St. is also filling up slowly.

  • Caplan family

    Mazel tov Darchei Menachem,a school that lives up to its name!
    Hatzlacha rabbah. We really admire and appreciate your good work.

  • yyy

    really, that YDM staff / admin are just such talent and wonderful people. true shulchim of the Rebbe. Its not just about a job to them.
    wishing them mazal tov and yeilchu mi choyil el choyil.

  • Mrs. Segal

    This is so exciting. To #3- we’ve lived on Palm Ct. for 9 years now and are about 2 min. from Rutland Rd. This is a Carribean neighborhood which is being yuppified. The neighborhood is pretty quiet unlike Utica or Nostrand. It will be great to have a Yeshiva in the neighborhood and in the playground (Rutland and Brooklyn -Wingate Park.) This past week was the first time that posters were hung up all the way down Brooklyn Avenue until Maple Street. Now they can extend them until Rutland. The frum neighborhood welcomes the yeshiva!