All for the Children

After two years of building and preparation the new Lubavitch Children’s Centre is now open, serving both the Stamford Hill and Haringey community. David Rose from the Jewish Times went to see it.

The aim of the new state of the art centre is to: “provide a Torah-true education in an atmosphere of love, warmth and respect which enables everyone to develop and grow, realizing their own special potential.” the Director, Rabbi Sholom Ber Sudak is assisted by his wife, Rebbetzin Devorah Leah Sudak, who is also the Children’s Centre Manager. Their professionalism and dedication is quite remarkable.

The original premises were owned by the Lubavitch Centre next door. In 2005 Hackney Council approached them to set up a children’s centre that they planned for the area. About half the children in the Hackney area are Jewish and it was decided that a faith-based centre was most appropriate for them. Originally designed for another location, that idea fell through and the council approached them for a centre that would not just service the Lubavitch kehilla but also all the Charedi communities of Stamford Hill. Because of their excellent track record in education and in working with the wider community, Lubavitch were well equipped to take on the task and see it to fruition.

Via the Interlink Foundation they also received funding from Haringey Council, who supported the idea but did not have enough population to justify their own premises as yet. e Single Regeneration Budget gave them funding for computer training and they also get support from the Learning Trust; the rest of the resources were provided by private donations.

In 2005 the renowned architect Kevan Fehler of Stern Thom Fehler, submitted a design, and in 2007 the council agreed to it. Demolition of the existing structure soon began. There were problems along the way, not least when the original contractors went into liquidation. They were supposed to finish the structure by April 2008 but the work dragged on. In the end M & Sons finished it in March 2009. After the final checks, it was handed over to them in mid-August this year when the building became operational.

Throughout most of this time Rabbi Sudak oversaw much of the project, even obtaining the necessary skills as he went, in areas such as the intricacies of grant application.

Walking round the new building, one is struck by its modern, spacious and light aspect. It is welcoming in itself. The furnishings are of the highest quality and often custom designed, like the climbing frame in the child’s outdoor play area, that can accommodate disabled and other children. In the Nursery there are toy sinks for the children to play with – a red one for meat and a white one for milk.

The concept of the centre is to provide a full Jewish pre-school curriculum by taking care of the whole child’s needs, including health, social and emotional development. The main centre caters for ages three to five and parents are actively encouraged to join in the care and activities provided for their children while in the centre. They are treated as partners in the care process. They cater for the needs of the whole family in this way, so that if, for example, there is some crisis in the home then it can be sorted and progress made. Security is very well maintained on the site.

The Activity Room operates a weekly programme so that parents can engage in activities with their children, like story telling and music, and also basic cookery. There is a soft play and JuMP (Jewish Maternity) post-natal programme. There is a messy play area for activities, like sand building and painting. They even have a shower room if things get out of hand.

The toy library has been running for five years and has now transferred to the new centre. The toys are vetted for the child’s security, including issues such as safety from fire. There are even books for mothers to help them in chinuch with their children. They lend toys out for two to three weeks and are designed to stretch children’s activities and also help parents who cannot afford to buy them. They aim to provide toys that do not have too many pieces so that the chance of damage or loss is reduced. Adults are encouraged to use the games too in order to encourage the use of family time. Advice on suitability for each child is readily available.

This is not just a toy library, though, for the emphasis is very much on peer support for the parents of the community. That is the way the whole centre functions. For example, there is also a breakfast club for mothers while their children play, and the mothers can chat and also enjoy a weekly parsha drosho.

Medical services are provided, like immunization days, and there are exercise classes and mental health assessments for parents. They even have English as a Second Language classes for Yemenite mothers. The PCT have a presence twice a month to provide individual health reviews.

The Nursery for under two year olds has a worker for every three children. Currently they have seven staff but are still recruiting. !ere are places for three month to two year olds, and a separate facility with places for ages two to fifth birthday. Although in its early stages, it is rapidly getting under way and is superbly equipped.

The famous Lubavitch Centre Library has 15,000 titles and will move from the main centre very soon. They managed to get funding for the library floor and the new Vista computer training centre. On the top floor, the Vista centre has three rooms with about 16 terminals each to provide computer training for over 16 year olds, via modern audio-visual aids.

The whole concept of the Lubavitch Children’s Centre is impressive. They aim to provide education according to the child’s needs and in the context of their family environment. !is merges well with the Lubavitch philosophy of chinuch: namely, the importance of education from before birth continuing through all stages of a person’s life.