Minnesota Jewish Center Moving to Prime University Location

Dominated by fraternity housing, university buildings and student services, University of Minnesota’s “fraternity row” hasn’t seen a building change hands in more than 17 years. But this fall, the frat houses in the aptly-named “Dinkytown, USA,” will make way for a new type of home: a Chabad House.

After a year and a half of hosting student programs and Friday night dinners in the cramped quarters of a rental property, Chabad-Lubavitch Rabbi Yitzi and Chava Steiner are ecstatic to have their own place in a prime location, smack dab in the middle of a college area home to the fourth-largest main campus student body in the nation.

“Finding a vendor willing to see was a miracle in itself in an area with such high demand,” says Yitzi Steiner, co-director of Chabad at the University Minnesota. “We could not have asked for a better location.”

The new Chabad House will be large enough to host more students for Friday night dinners and programs, as well as for the Steiners to expand their offerings of activities.

“Establishing a permanent presence at the University of Minnesota, along with other locations around the world, is crucial to our role of reaching every Jewish student, wherever they may be,” says Rabbi Yossy Gordon, executive vice president of the Chabad on Campus International Foundation.

The purchase was made possible by a grant from philanthropist George Rohr and the support of Rabbi Moshe Kotlarksy, chairman of the Chabad on Campus International Foundation and vice chairman of Merkos L’Inyonei Chinuch, the educational arm of Chabad-Lubavitch.

Adds Steiner: “We really could not have managed this without such generous commitment, support and inspiration.”