Chabad of WWU Buys Space Closer to Students

Chabad Jewish Center of Whatcom County has bought the building that housed the Shalom Center at Western Washington University. The $880,000 purchase closed Wednesday, Oct. 5. The building at 102 Highland Drive had been owned by Campus Christian Ministries.

The new space has been renamed the Rohr Center for Jewish Life, in honor of benefactor and Florida resident George Rohr who donated $300,000.

“It’s an investment in the future of Judaism in Bellingham,” said Rabbi Avremi Yarmush of the purchase.

Avremi and wife Nissa are directors of Chabad Jewish Center of Whatcom County.

Services, which were run out of their home on Newell Street in Bellingham, have been moved to the new location.

In addition to the much-needed space in the Rohr Center – including a large community room – the new location also is closer to the WWU campus.

The center runs numerous programs for Jewish students at WWU, Avremi Yarmush said, adding that each Friday night 35 to 45 students show up for the Sabbath and to eat dinner.

“It’s a very comforting and homey feeling,” he said of the communal gatherings. “Students love it. The fact that we were further away was very hard on them.”

Plans for the Rohr Center include building a lounge so students can hang out in a Jewish environment, Yarmush said.

“We try to be the home away from home for every Jewish Viking,” he said.