Chabad Buys House on 113th St.

After Eight Years, Rabbi Blum to Move Jewish Outreach Organization Into New Digs

After eight years of running Chabad Columbia out of his apartment, Rabbi Yonah Blum is moving the organization into a five-story brownstone on 113th Street. [Ed Note: This comes along with R. Blums birthday this shabbos]

According to Blum, the purchase of the building is a means of intensifying Chabad’s relationship with Columbia. The relationship was officially established just this past year.

“We’ve been throwing around the idea of getting a proper building for a while already, but it’s very difficult to find property in the Morningside Heights area,” said Blum. “When we found out that this building was available, we approached our donors, George and Pamela Rohr, and they helped us purchase it.”

Blum attended an open house for the property in mid-November and began the purchasing process during winter break. According to Blum, the deal will be closed by the end of the month, and the building will be used full-time starting this summer.

Samuel Freedman, professor of journalism and faculty advisor to Chabad Columbia, said he felt that it was easier for Chabad to purchase a building now than it would have been eight years ago, when Blum became the first full-time Chabad rabbi at Columbia.

“What’s great is that we’re not talking about building a building without having the constituency for it,” he said. “The building of community and the meeting of needs comes first, and then the building. That’s the way it should be.”

Freedman added that “the other night, Rabbi Blum had a hundred people over to his apartment.” He continued, “It’s a much more comfortable setting to have a hundred people on the floor of a brownstone than to have that many in one family’s apartment.”

Blum said he plans to hold regular Friday night meals there, as well as “a lot more educational stuff, like lectures.”

“It’s a building with growing room for us,” said Blum, who plans to hold a celebration at the end of the month in honor of the purchase.

Vera Tseylikman, CC ’08 and a regular guest at Blum’s apartment on Friday nights, agreed.

“I went one Friday night in September and couldn’t help but go back, they were so warm and welcoming,” she said. “Every Friday night the place is crowded. It’s addictive.”

But, Tseylikman added, “they pay personal attention to everyone.”