Town of Brookhaven Supervisor Ed Romaine, left, and town Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich attend a vigil at the Village Chabad Center for Jewish Life & Learning in East Setauket Monday evening.
Photo courtesy of Rabbi Motti Grossbaum
Over 150 people gathered Monday night, Oct. 9, at the Village Chabad Center for Jewish Life & Learning in East Setauket for a gathering of prayer and solidarity for the Israeli people. Town of Brookhaven Supervisor Ed Romaine (R) and town Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich (D-Stony Brook) were among the many in attendance.
Rabbi Chaim Grossbaum shared words of inspiration and encouragement with all assembled. “Many are asking me what they can do to help,” said the rabbi. “My response is loud and clear. Aside from donating with your financial support for Israel, I encourage everyone to increase in deeds of goodness and kindness. We must add light to the world, and that is how we fight the darkness and the evil. It just takes one flame of light to chase away an entire room of darkness. Every good deed we do brings tremendous light to the world. And good always wins.”
The Village Chabad also organized a collection of urgent humanitarian equipment led by Three Village resident Ari Nezaria that was sent Tuesday night on a chartered cargo flight to Israel.
Rabbi Chaim Grossbaum sounds the Shofar, a hollowed-out ram's horn used to usher in Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. Photo from Village Chabad
By Rabbi Chaim Grossbaum
Can we cancel 2020? Like simply skipping directly to 2021? Will anyone be upset about it?
I have seen many funny memes about 2020. But one particular meme got me to laugh pretty hard. It’s actually not about 2020 but about the current Jewish calendar year we are about to close, 5780.
“They say our actions on the High Holidays determine what will be decreed for the upcoming year. So whatever the heck you guys did last year, please don’t do it again!”
LOL.
After LOL’ing, it got me thinking about “cancelling 2020” and “cancelling 5780.” And then, a quote came to mind. A quote that is simply so perfect for our situation.
The quote is from Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn, the sixth Lubavitcher Rebbe. He was imprisoned and tortured in Soviet Russia because of his work to spread Judaism behind the Iron Curtain.
After he was released from prison, his disciples asked him how he felt about it. He replied, “If I would be offered millions to experience one more moment of suffering – I wouldn’t buy. And if anyone would want to pay me millions to take away one moment of my suffering – I wouldn’t sell!”
The Rebbe didn’t elaborate further, but I think that the message is simple. Challenges are difficult, but they can also uplift you. One should never choose to experience challenges, but in hindsight we can appreciate how it made us better.
So I don’t want to cancel 5780.
Not the moments that forced me to take a step back from the hustle of life.
Not the moments that reminded me what’s important and what’s less important.
Not the new appreciation of what is essential, and what is not truly essential.
Not the beauty I saw all around me, when the entire country simply rallied to help one another.
Not the feeling of closeness to G-d when I prayed from the bottom of my heart that things should get better already.
Not the time spent with my family with very little distraction.
Do I want more of it? Not even if you pay me millions. But I do know that 5780 had many gifts. Hidden, but gifts nonetheless.
Onward and upward!
May we all be blessed with a Shana Tova U’metuka. A happy, healthy and sweet new year up ahead for ourselves and our loved ones.
Rabbi Chaim Grossbaum is the senior rabbi and spiritual leader at the Village Chabad Center for Jewish life & Learning in East Setauket. Visit EnjoyHighHolidays.com for a schedule of COVID-safe outdoor holidays at Village Chabad. Masks, social distancing, and preregistration is required. To RSVP for a “60 Minute Power Hour” Rosh Hashanah service and Shofar blowing on Sept. 20, visit MyVillageChabad.com/HHPowerHour.
Participants get ready for the ribbon cutting at the Village Chabad in East Setauket June 23. Photo by M. Aron
More than 500 people attended the grand opening of the Village Chabad in East Setauket June 23. Photo by M. Aron
Brookhaven Town Supervisor Ed Romaine, Rabbi Chaim Grossbaum and Councilwoman Valerie Cartright. Photo by M. Aron
Attendees enter the new Village Chabad June 23. Photo by Rita J. Egan
Rabbi Aaron Benson from North Shore Jewish Center and Three Village Chamber of Commerce President Andy Polan attend the grand opening of the Village Chabad June 23. Photo by Rita J. Egan
It was a beautiful day for a homecoming June 23.
Village Chabad, formerly known as Chabad at Stony Brook, opened the doors to its new center at 360 Nicolls Road in East Setauket Sunday. More than 500 were on hand for the grand opening ceremony and ribbon cutting to help Rabbi Chaim Grossbaum and Rivkie Grossbaum, co-directors, the Chabad’s other rabbis and family members celebrate a new beginning.
Brookhaven Town Supervisor Ed Romaine (R) presented Chaim Grossbaum with a proclamation naming June 23 Village Chabad Day.
“This is a great day for people of faith,” Romaine said. “Faith is the most important thing that we have — a strong belief in God, a strong ethics system. And this facility is a blessing and a beacon in this town, and we are so proud of this grand opening this day.”
Grossbaum thanked everyone for attending the Chabad’s ribbon cutting, calling the new center everyone’s home.
“Here at the Village you’ll spend time with your expanded community family,” Grossbaum said. “You’ll come to be inspired. You’ll come to relax. You’ll come to study or meet up with a friend over a cup of coffee.”
The grand opening event included a singing performance from a number of the Hebrew school’s children and a tour of the new facility. After the ribbon cutting, many broke into a traditional circle dance to celebrate.
The Chabad had outgrown its former location in Lake Grove, and the rabbis would rent out local venues such as The Neighborhood House and the Holiday Inn Express at Stony Brook to hold events. Grossbaum said many celebrations such as bar and bat mitzvahs were celebrated in tents at his house.
The 13,000-square-foot Village Chabad, which cost nearly $5 million, sits on 8.8 acres of property, 2.8 acres of it having been developed. There are classrooms, study rooms, a sanctuary, a conference room, backyard, patio and a room that can hold 200 for events and holiday dinners.
The new Village Chabad is on Nicolls Road in East Setauket. Photo by Stacey Heber
With decades of history in the Three Village area, a religious organization is ready to flourish in a new venue.
A view of the front entrance of the new Village Chabad on Nicolls Road. Photo by Stacey Heber
Nestled on Nicolls Road, a new building designed by Natalie Weinstein & Associates of St James is near completion for Chabad at Stony Brook which currently works out of Lake Grove. A ribbon cutting will be held June 23 to mark the beginning of a new era for the organization with a larger home for those it serves to gather in, along with a new moniker — Village Chabad.
The original name, Chabad at Stony Brook, came about 32 years ago when Rabbi Chaim Grossbaum and Rivkie Grossbaum, co-directors, moved from New Jersey and first worked with Stony Brook University students. Soon, the Chabad services extended beyond the school and into the Three Village community and surrounding areas, with a synagogue, preschool, Hebrew and elementary schools, activities for children and adult education.
“Thirty-two years ago, it started with the university, but over the years it developed into a vast array of broad programming,” said Grossbaum’s son Rabbi Motti Grossbaum, program director.
During a recent tour of the new building, the Grossbaums, who provide services with Rabbi Shalom Ber Cohen, director of education, said the Chabad outgrew its space in Lake Grove. Many programs had to be held at places such as the Bates House in Setauket, the Holiday Inn Express at Stony Brook and many other rentable spaces in the Three Village area due to lack of space.
“We were literally bursting at the seams there, which is why when we had to rent larger venues for community functions we rented up here in the Three Village area,” Motti Grossbaum said.
Chaim Grossbaum likened the new building to a village where everything a Jewish family needs would be under one roof. Like the Lake Grove location, Rivkie Grossbaum, preschool director; Chanie Cohen, program coordinator; Chaya Grossbaum, camp coordinator; and Rivka Itzhaky, secretary and accounts payable/receivable, will join the rabbis.
“It would bring the community together as a village,” he said. “Whether they’re coming for the elementary school or coming for a holiday party, they’re coming home. They’re coming for prayer services or simply to relax with a friend over a cup of coffee. It’s the same home.”
The 13,000-square-foot Village Chabad sits on 8.8 acres of property, and 2.8 acres of it has been developed with a wooded buffer. There are classrooms, study rooms, a sanctuary, offices, a conference room, backyard, patio and a room that can hold 200 for events such as bat and bar mitzvahs and holiday dinners.
“This has been a community effort of many people who have stepped up and catapulted this whole project to happen.”
— Chaim Grossbaum
The rabbis said the new location would make it easier to serve the Jewish community who reside close to and on the North Shore. Many who attend services and activities at the Chabad are residents in the Three Village school district as well as Smithtown and Port Jefferson. The Chabad is open to anyone of the Jewish faith of any affiliation or background and membership is not required.
“The concept of Village Chabad is the wholesomeness that the Jewish community needs will be here,” Chaim Grossbaum said.
While the Chabad still holds a mortgage with Gold Coast Bank for the $5 million project, the rabbis said a number of sponsors, both big and small, stepped up to fund parts of the new building, including lead donors Edward and Vivian Merrin, owners of The Merrin Gallery in New York City, whose contribution kicked off the donations. Opportunities are still available for sponsorship as the Chabad hopes to finish a kitchen, install a playground for their school and a swimming pool for summer camp.
“This has been a community effort of many people who have stepped up and catapulted this whole project to happen,” Chaim Grossbaum said.
In addition to the rabbis, those who have attended services and events are looking forward to their new home. Cheryl and Bruce Singer, of Stony Brook, who have been involved with the Chabad for approximately four years, are among them.
“We look forward to having a modern building that provides a central hub for the Jewish community to learn, gather, worship, celebrate and participate in social and cultural events for all ages,” Cheryl Singer said.
Jennifer O’Brien, an insurance agent in Smithtown who travels to the Chabad from Hauppauge, said it has been nice to see it expand.
“Their new location looks like it will be the most upscale synagogue in our area as the floor plans are impressive to say the least,” O’Brien said. “My children loved attending Hebrew school at their former location in Lake Grove, and we are so excited for all that the grand opening and new accommodating space will offer a synagogue, school and camp.”
Andy Polan, president of the Three Village Chamber of Commerce, said the new building “shows that our Jewish community is vibrant and growing.”
“It was Chabad’s outreach that inspired me to become more engaged with my Judaism and to take on leadership roles in our Jewish community,” Polan said. “These are experiences that will impact me forever.”
Motti Grossbaum said the Chabad currently serves about 500 active families and the move gives the Chabad the opportunity to benefit many more residents.
“We’re part of people’s lives, and we’re trying to bring meaning and purpose and to remind people that beyond the chaos of our day-to-day life, we all have a collective mission to make the world a better place every day,” Motti Grossbaum said.
The ribbon cutting will be held June 23 at 1 p.m. at the new building located at 360 Nicolls Road, East Setauket. Registration is required by visiting www.myvillagechabad.com.
