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Lubavitcher Yeshiva Simcha Hall Renovated

The first Simcha at the newly renovated Lubavitcher Yeshiva Simcha Hall took place last Night. The gala grand opening / Bar Mitzvah was an exceptional event for all who came.

The renovations were completed thanks to a generous contribution from Itzik Benabo. The colossal undertaking was swiftly completed by the Yeshiva throughout the short summer months, so that the renovations were completed in time for the new school year. The hall is now ready for the community to take pleasure in for years to come.

The hall has always been a desirable location for Bar Mitzvahs, L’chaims, Brisim, Sheva Brochos and more. Both its location and size have drawn people to choose the hall for their simchas. However, the hall was built over 20 years ago and had never received any substantial renovation to keep pace with the wear and tear of the high traffic.

Alyson Feldman, head of design, explained that the newly constructed hall was created with commercial-quality materials to produce an ideal location for the children of Lubavitcher Yeshiva by day and a dazzling place to host a Simcha at night. Not only did they modernize the large hall and hallway, but were also able to transform the washing area and restrooms, making it into an impressive and fully efficient place to make a Simcha in the heart of Crown Heights.

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31 Comments

  • Disingenuous

    This was not a donation, it was a business deal.
    Itzik Benabo did not redo the hall out of the generosity of his heart, he did the hall up because he now has full rights to it, and now anyone who wants to make a lechaim etc… have to rent it from HIM, and pay HIM for catering.
    The only normal sized hall in CH just became more unaffordable for most of the community, instead of lowering the cost of getting married in CH, we just bumped up the costs!

  • Bottom Line

    “Dazzling, impressive and fully efficient”- Yes!
    “Generous contribution”?- I don’t know, you tell me!
    Try booking the halls with the Party Planner of your choice/budget, and you will be told that you MUST use Benabo’s sister- or you cannot use their halls. And, in the future, when Benabo’s Catering kitchen opens, you will have to use his caterer for your Simchah! I am not saying anything is wrong about this, that is not for me, or for any other individual to decide. All I’m saying is, CALL IT WHAT IT IS: JUST ANOTHER BUSINESS INVESTMENT IN KAN TZIVA BENABO ES HABROCHOH!

  • # 3 is right

    “The renovations were completed thanks to a generous contribution from Itzik Benabo” is an outright lie!!
    Itzkik a nice person and a very aggressive “business” man, i wish him the best – he took nothing from me, but again, lets call a spade a spade…..

  • sg

    benabou purchased or long leased the hall…now one must book via him you can only use his catering or purchase stuff from empire kosher…not that anything is wrong with it…its just what it is…if one feels making a lchaim is too expensice make it at home….the only thing itzik doesnt have in ch is a liquor store/cleaners/and a shoe store…..listen its a nicer hall so be it…btw as a foot note yitzik i noticed in empire kosher you raised prices of all the unpopular items …people realize this….some people are fools but most arent…doing this is just paving the way for the kollel store to open in ch…or the kollel will start doing free delivery to ch…as for me i shop in the kollel i save 300 a month …

  • Sad day.

    I beg the board of ULY to reverse this decision. You have now made the only large hall in CH unaffordable to its middle class residence.

  • Disgusted with the entitlement attitude.

    Lubavitcher Yeshiva owes noone anything.They are not the local tzeddaka agency. They have a hall and rent it out. They just renovated it and made it look beautiful. They are not more expensive than the other halls in crown heights. Stop spewing loshan hora and being so negative about something so positive.

  • Just Curious.

    To 3 and 4. Did you say the same thing when Razag and Chovevei Torah opened up? Why is this any different?

  • to #3

    to disingenuous – yeah, it was a business deal. and G-d was a part of it, too. how do you know mr. ben-abou won’t use HIS hall and HIS catering services to do chessed? how do you know he won’t finance many a chasuna in HIS hall? let’s look at our fellow yidden with an ayin tov (and a LEV tov)!

  • who-s the Cater

    so who are the caters for the hall now and are we able to get Mayer Kohan or Benzion kohen to cater our simchas too

  • beautiful!

    wow! the hall looks beautiful!!! great job to all those involved. i look forward to making a simcha there!

  • former customer

    Ben Abou should not be allowed to acquire more and more business in CH. Personally, I don’t shop in any of his establishments. The day he buys Raskin Fruit & Fish stores, extends Gombo and Kahan’s offers they cannot refuse, and has his sister operates the dry cleaners, I’ll be leaving this place for good.

  • Only Simchos!

    To #10
    Please do not confuse me with #4. As #3, I was very careful not to criticize the business investment, just pointed out that it was one. I am pretty sure that he will use his new hall to do chesed. As for the Razag, I never heard that deal being coined as a “generous contribution”. If it was, then I would have said the same thing. Concerning Chovevei Torah, I have been to quite a few Simchos there B”H, and the ones who made those simchos were able to use the party planner or caterer of their choice. May we all have only Simchos to attend and make!

  • a fellow Kozy Acres

    Thank you Allyson Feldman for all the hard work you put into the help with the design and construction of the hall

  • chaya s

    This is perfect, I have everything all in one. A beautiful hall and a professional party planner.I beleive the party planners name is Smadar isnt she the one that had the pretty store on kingston ave called Smadar Events? I desperately need her number if anyone has it please write it down. Thank You!!!

  • Att #14

    People like you we definitely don’t need in ch please move now before they will buy out everything including your home.

  • The real Lubavitcher Yeshiva

    back in my day (on Ocean Parkway) the handles would have come off the kvorts before the second lunch, and I’d have given the chandeliers about a week.

  • Jackie Grossman

    Thank you to all who worked to create this beautuful space. And to those who complain at what seems like a great deal for the yeshiva, I hope it exceeds their expectations, and that they are able to host simchas every night in this new beautiful hall. If you don’t like capitalism, America is not the place for you.

  • to # 23

    It is not jealousy, maybe when you are in the situation you will understand.
    Benabou and Lubavitch Yeshiva are entitled to instil any policy they want, but it doesn’t change the fact that this will have an impact on many people:
    1-The price to rent and use the exclusive hall/caterer may go up
    2-The quality is not guaranteed, since there is no competition. When a supplier (party planner or caterer) knows that serving inferior food or providing less service will result in losing their job to the competition, they are more careful to provide the customer with quality service
    Competition is good for the customer
    3-There is enough business for everyone. Taking away these jobs from all those people and causing a monopoly will result in hard times for some very hard-working people. These are small business owners that struggle to make a living. Now IF they can make up the difference with other jobs, in smaller places, it will take more work to earn the same money. They are people in our own community that are the breadwinner of the family

  • to Jackie Grossman #25

    This is not capitalism, quite the contrary
    It is a monopoly, leaving no option for the consumer or competition
    Study up on your economics

  • Jackie Grossman

    TO #27

    The consumer has as many options as he or she chooses. And perhaps you should take up a study of capitalism.

  • former customer

    To #19: Are you threatening me with your know no bounds greed? Is your plan to buy all of CH & eliminate choice? If I would share “Chaya S” @18 phoney comment that “This is perfect, I have everything all in one”, and have no choice in the matter, I would sooner move to North Korea.

  • Bottom Line

    Without getting deeper into arguments, just look at the present L’Chaim announcements- NOT ONE IS TO BE IN THIS NEW HALL! Now why is that? Could it be they don’t like like this new monopoly? Or is it that the party planner that now has the monopoly is simply to expensive? Why aren’t people scrambling to be among the first to make their L’Chaim in this dazzling new hall?