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player ready...Chabad of Naperville’s new Abrams Center for Jewish Life is the realization of a long-held dream for Rabbi Mendy Goldstein, who started his synagogue with wife Alta 16 years ago in the basement of their home.
Their new facility — an 8,000-square-foot building at 651 Amersale Drive — gives them far more space than they had at the 1,500-square-foot location on Brookdale Road that they had been using most recently, Goldstein said. It’s located off Route 59, about a mile south of Interstate 88.
“We would have to rent hotels or other venues for most of our larger events (because the previous space was so small). This can accommodate many more people,” he said. “(It also) gives us the ability to have more than one event going on simultaneously.”
The center, which officially opens with a celebration event Aug. 22, becomes the new hub for Chabad of Naperville’s religious services, programming and events and provides a gathering spot for both children and adults, he said.
“Our community has come together to create a vibrant center for Jewish life for now and many generations to come,” Goldstein said in a news release announcing the grand opening celebration.
Renovation work was completed earlier this summer, the rabbi said. Purchase and remodeling of the building cost $1.8 million, and they have plans for additional phases in the future, he said.
The Abrams Center has classrooms, a sanctuary, a teen lounge, a library and a social hall and space for Chabad’s Shabbat services, teen program Cteen and Hebrew school.
“We have a lounge where people can just meet up for coffee or hang out, not just for a particular event,” Goldstein said.
Their objective now is to expand their youth programming, Sunday school and teen programs, he said. Among the things they’d like to add is a Mommy and Me program, he said.
The larger learning space has allowed Chabad to hire two new directors, Rabbi Tzvi Tornek and Tova Tornek, allowing them to expand their Hebrew school programming, Goldstein said.
“One of the greatest gifts you can give your child is a deep awareness and appreciation of who his ancestors are and what they have to teach us today,” Rabbi Tornek said in the release. “For many students, our school will be their first uniquely Jewish experience, where they learn what it means to be Jewish in a relevant, engaging and fun way.”
The grand opening, which is scheduled for 2 to 5 p.m., will include tours of the center, live music, children’s entertainment and a sushi bar.
Guests will also be able to learn more about the Hebrew school, the Cteen program, and a new Cteen U program through which high school students can earn college credit for taking classes on Jewish topics.