Woodlands Jewish Community Finds a Home

Chabad of The Woodlands, a suburb of Houston, Texas, celebrated the High Holidays this month in a new home.

Until now, the two-year-old congregation has been meeting mostly in The Woodlands home of Rabbi Mendel Blecher and his wife, Leah Blecher. The couple rented facilities for holiday events.

The rabbi said he realized the congregation needed a permanent facility after space limitations forced him to turn people down for the congregation’s Passover feast last spring.

He and Leah approached congregation members about seeking a place to rent.

The 2,500-square-foot building they found at 25823 Budde Road is a former house that was used most recently as a retail site.

In the building is a large room that will be used for services, along with a study area/library, a children’s room, a kitchen area and an office.

“It really will service the entire community and allow us to serve all ages in a comfortable way,” Blecher said.

Chabad of The Woodlands is affiliated with the worldwide Chabad-Lubavitch movement, a Jewish outreach organization with approximately 3,000 centers worldwide and 1,000 in the United States.

“The goal of setting up these centers is to reach out and reconnect Jewish people with their heritage,” said Blecher, who was raised in Melbourne, Australia.

Chabad of The Woodlands offers prayer services, classes, a women’s group, children’s programing, camps and Hebrew enrichment courses for kids.

“I offer a smorgasbord of Judaism,” Blecher said. “You’re welcome to taste as much as you like.”

Chabad welcomes Jews of any background, any affiliation and any level of observance.

Currently, the center in The Woodlands has about 70 regular attendees. Most are from The Woodlands, but the center also draws people from Spring, Tomball, Kingwood and Montgomery. Greater Houston’s other Chabad centers are in Uptown, Bellaire, southwest Houston and west Houston.

“I’m 40 miles from the next center,” Blecher said. “The northern side is our responsibility.”

Blecher said he expects the congregation to continue attracting new members.

“This is a growing area. We’ve had people move here for job opportunities, some who’ve encountered Chabad earlier called us in advance.”

One of the members to do that is Bonnie Pfrenger of The Woodlands, who’s been with Chabad of The Woodlands a little more than a year. Before that, she was affiliated with a Chabad center in Omaha, Neb.

“I chose The Woodlands because they had a small Chabad here,” Pfrenger said. “The new building will create even more opportunities to connect with learning about Judaism, not only with traditions, but with the deeper meanings behind the traditions.”

Pfrenger said she places great value on the Chabad’s in-depth teaching.

“It awakens your Jewish soul and makes you feel very proud and very honored to be Jewish.”