Torah Learning Center Expands

“Welcome to the friendly confines of the Torah Learning Center,” the saying goes at TLC.

That was an ironic comment on the Lubavtich institution’s home in a former single-family home. But now, with a just-completed $1.5 million expansion, TLC’s confines have gotten a bit bigger.

The idea had been kicked around for about seven years, said Rabbi Chonie Friedman, but it finally began to take shape in October.

“Before, we couldn’t have more than one class a night. We couldn’t have more than 20 people for any event,” Rabbi Friedman said.

Now, with the capacity for 150 people to attend a lecture, “I think that everything that we do will double or triple,” he said.

Architect Vince LaTona designed the 4,500-square-foot addition, which connects with the old building via a breezeway. Named the Anna and Max Zalcman Torah Learning Center after a pair of generous donors, the building offers more space and new amenities, such as a kitchen and additional bathrooms.

There will not be an official grand opening until June 15, but TLC is already holding events at the building, 8800 W. 103rd St., starting with a Purim se’udah (Hebrew for “meal”) last week.

“It’s not a big, fabulous building in any respect. But compared to what we’ve had and what we’ve been in, it’s like the Taj Mahal,” said Victor Bergman, chairman of the board.

The building isn’t quite complete; TLC is waiting for various custom-made furnishings, including things for the kitchen and an Aron Ha-Kodesh (a “holy ark” for the Torah scroll), a bema and a mechitzah, or divider, for the sanctuary.

“We’ve been very much under the radar in so many ways,” Bergman said. “We’re intending to have a lot more going on that is designed for the general Jewish public. … The concept is to provide programming for everybody in all aspects of the Jewish community. We’ve not been able to do anything of significant size because of space limitations.”

Rabbi Friedman estimated that TLC has raised about 40 percent of the cost of the new building. He said they would appreciate additional gifts and donations to help pay off their loan from the Bank of Blue Valley.