Religious leaders, politicians and 400 residents in Sydney, Australia’s North Shore hailed plans to turn a vacated training facility to a synagogue and community center as a vital step to unite a neighborhood and sprawling Jewish community.

“It’s just what the community needs,” said Nicky Franks, who attended last week’s celebration at what will soon be the location of the Chabad-Lubavitch run North Shore Jewish Community Center.

Franks, who directs Camp Sababa, a day camp for children with special needs, will bring the summer camp to the new center this December. The center will also house a synagogue and offices for the Chabad House of the North Shore and a 17-meter swimming pool, while three acres of property will allow further expansion.

RELATED

Rabbi Nochum Schapiro, the project’s director, said that six years ago, the Chabad House began running out of space for its daily activities. His search for a new location began soon afterwards, but city council objections, zoning changes and financing hurdles presented a variety of roadblocks to the effort.

“I realized we needed another option,” he explained. “Why not use a building that already exists?”

Located near a Jewish high school with 700 students, the new center’s pool, basketball courts, lounges and youth groups will provide local teenagers with a wholesome place to socialize, speakers at the celebration emphasized. And through programs like cooking meals for sick and impoverished families and volunteering at Camp Sababa and other functions, it will afford students many opportunities to get involved and help their community.

Guests marvel at the new building that will serve the growing Jewish community.
Guests marvel at the new building that will serve the growing Jewish community.

“Hopefully, it will allow the various parts of the community on the North Shore to come together,” said Michael Vasin, CEO of Maccabi of New South Wales (NSW), an organization whose goal is to “promote Jewish identity through sports.” Maccabi NSW is already organizing several events through the center, including sports camps, clinics, and presentations.

Schapiro also intends the center to be utilized for retreats, training, and multi-day conferences. He hopes to hold seminars that help people cope with everyday issues, such as stress management, parenting and health. He said that for more than 20 years, the Chabad House has provided the community with a synagogue, youth programs, ritual bath, Hebrew school, day care, social and humanitarian projects, adult-education classes, and counseling; the new center will allow it to provide even more services.

“Chabad has served the entire community, unconditionally, with enormous dedication and love,” said Rene Gazzard, a teacher at Masada College. “I am thrilled that this center will provide Chabad even more opportunities to expand their programs for the community.”

The North Shore Jewish Community Center is expected to open this fall after a few renovations to the existing structure, including the addition of a kitchen area.

“The new center will be a resource for the city, and really for the whole country,” said Schapiro. “It gives us an opportunity to grow exponentially and to touch more lives, both materially and spiritually.”