Grand Opening
High Holiday Service Open To All At No Charge.
WEST BLOOMFIELD, Michigan (August 20, 2002) For many, it is a dream come true. The-Shul - the outreach center of the Lubavitch Campus of Living Judaism — has announced the upcoming completion of its new premises in West Bloomfield, just in time for the High Holidays.
The new building features unique architecture centered around the outline of a Menorah and is located on Lubavitchs 40-acre Campus of Living Judaism at 6890 W. Maple Road, adjacent to the Jewish Community Centre.
Construction of The Shul began on July 1, 2001 . The architectural firm was Luckenbach/Ziegelman Architects, LLC, and the construction firm was A.Z. Shmina Construction.
High Holiday Services for the Jewish New-Year (This year starting on Sept. 6), are scheduled to take place at the new center. The services are open to the entire Jewish Community at no charge. No affiliation is necessary.
Community members and leaders are very excited about this new breakthrough. "We are overjoyed that we can finally open the doors of our new center, making it a place where every Jew can feel that this is their home," said Rabbi Kasriel Shemtov, Director of the Shul. "We express our deep appreciation to all those who dedicated their time and money, body and soul to make this venture a success," he said.
When completed, the campus will include additional buildings which will house social and educational institutions including the Michigan Jewish Institute an accredited four-year degree-granting educational institution, The Jack and Miriam Shenkman Education Center, the Emma Lazaroff-Schaver Library, and the Meer Family Friendship Center, which will include the Friendship Circles Ferber Kaufman Lifetown, Daniel B. Sobel Friendship House and the Morris and Sybil Fenkell Volunteer Club.
Others involved in founding the campus are Dr. George and Vivian Dean, and Martin and Phyllis Abel. Commenting on the opening of The Shul Mr. Abel said, Once inside the Shul, a sense of peace surrounds you. The huge beams above, the sky peering through the clear glass peaks, let you know that you are in a place of peace, of one with nature, a holy place, a house of G‑d.
The Shul building — the first on the campus — is almost 20,000 square feet. Besides the synagogue, the building also contains The Academic Center including lecture rooms, a large lecture-multipurpose hall, kitchen, rooms for children's programs, and more.
Shemtov explained what makes The Shul and its congregation unique.
"We have an uncompromising devotion to every single Jew. We invite everyone to come and have a taste - a taste of tradition, a taste of food. We want people to experience Judaism at their own pace, to move forward when they are comfortable," he explained. "We want to help people grow spiritually."