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Chabad to Build First Orthodox Shul in Puerto Rico

Chabad of Puerto Rico on Tuesday laid the cornerstone for its new Jewish Center in the San Juan metropolitan area’s Isla Verde tourism zone.

Construction of the first Chabad synagogue in Puerto Rico is expected to pump $5.5 million into the island economy and create 50 direct and indirect jobs.

Gov. Alejandro García Padilla and Puerto Rico Tourism Co. Executive Director Ingrid Rivera Rocafort were among the island government officials who took part in the groundbreaking ceremony on Tuesday.

The synagogue will serve members of Puerto Rico’s established and important Jewish community as well as thousands of Jewish tourists and other travelers who visit the island. It is expected to be the first Orthodox synagogue on the island.

Chabad-Lubavitch — a branch of Hasidism — is a philosophy, a movement and an organization that is among the most dynamic forces in Jewish life today.

Lubavitch appropriately means the “city of brotherly love. The word Chabad is a Hebrew acronym for the three intellectual faculties of chochmah (wisdom), binah (comprehension) and da’at (knowledge).

As previously reported by CARIBBEAN BUSINESS online, Chabad of Puerto Rico has been broadening its services in Puerto Rico.

It opened a Jewish Welcome Center in Old San Juan in 2012 and added a the island’s only sitdown kosher restaurant earlier this year. It also operates a Hebrew school.

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5 Comments

  • Admirer

    The incredible Kiddush Hashem and Kiddush Shem Lubavitch that is Chabad Lubavitch of Puerto Rico is awesome!
    For close to 15 years with Mesirus Nefesh, Rabbi Mendy and Rochie Zarchi have made Puerto Rico into a warm place not just Bgashmius, but most importantly Bruchnius!
    They have brought another couple to the Island – the Steins, to enhance the programming and from Puerto Rico, light goes out to the whole Caribbean!
    May they be blessed with continued Hatzlocho!!!!!!!!

    • Rabbi Hurwitz Chabad of Swan Lake

      Rabbi Mendy Zarchi and now Rabbi Levi Stein & their young Rebbetzens are working very hard & are doing a fabulous job, I spent some time with them,
      very nice people Mamesh everyone loves them.
      For your next vacation go to PR visit the Beth Chabad & don’t forget to take a tour (with Chabad) in Old San Juan, you’ll love every minute it will be worth every penny.

  • Manuel M.

    I am EXTREMELY happy about this news. I wish it would have happened 30 years ago, or even before since it would have made the transition and full immersion in Torah and Jewish life process for “crypto-Jews” like me a lot easier in a predominantly Catholic and Christian Pentecostal society that used to treat us as “Christ killers”. Trust me, there a lot of Puerto Ricans with Jewish DNA in that Island…please reach to them! I know how it feels not to have support, if there is an organization I am 100% sure that can change that is Chabad. Mazeltof!