Chabad of the Central West End, which until last Thursday operated from a home and rented office space, has secured a temporary 3,600-square-foot-space in the heart of the neighborhood at the intersection of Maryland and Euclid Avenues.

The journey to finding the space was not an easy one, says the organization’s directors, Rabbi Yossi and Goldie Abenson. The couple-team says they prayed a lot and they prayed hard as they sought a space large enough for the burgeoning organization amid a highly-competitive local real estate market.

As attendance continued to grow, the Abensons found themselves incessantly researching real estate databases for commercial property and rental listings. But with the cold weather setting in, making their outdoor space no longer feasible, time was running out to find a location suitable for their expanding programs and community.

“We had gotten to the point that we simply could not fit everyone in the spaces available to us,” said Goldie Abenson. “And we’d never dream of turning anyone away due to lack of room, so it was crucial we find a new and larger home for Chabad, and quickly.”

Participants pose for a group photo at the summer rooftop soiree, an event that brings together more than 130 young adults each year in St. Louis’ Central West End. Since 2018, when the Abensons founded Chabad of the Central West End, events, such as this, have been taking place in homes and rented venues.

The second-floor space is largely open—which will enable the Abensons to host the large crowds that frequent their events—and also contains offices and other meeting spaces.

Since 2018, when the Abensons founded Chabad of the Central West End, an affiliate of Chabad of Greater St. Louis, events and services have been taking place at homes and ad-hoc rented venues, including large events such as the summer rooftop soiree, which annually attracts some 130 attendees.

Now larger crowds will be able to attend existing events, and a number of new initiatives, which had been on hold due to space constraints, are expected to be rolled out in the coming months. The new location will also serve as a gathering space for JGrads, a division of Chabad on Campus at Washington University, which is operated by Chabad of the Central West End, and receives sponsorship from the Jewish Federation of St. Louis and the Kranzberg Family Foundation, a supporting foundation of the Jewish Federation of St. Louis..

The lease in the historic and central location was facilitated by Alex Zvibleman, a community member and licensed real estate broker, who stepped up and directed the search. “It was only through Alex and his team’s efforts and expertise that we were able to secure Chabad’s new home in the Central West End, and we are so grateful for all the time and energy he so generously invested,” said Rabbi Yossi Abenson.

The announcement couldn’t come at a better time for the Central West End Jewish Community. With the once-every-seven-year “Year of Hakhel,” or year of gathering, being marked by Jewish communities around the world, the Abensons are eager to welcome the community to this new gathering space.

And it hasn’t taken long for the space to be put to good use: just 24 hours after Chabad secured the lease, more than 60 people gathered at the new venue for a community Shabbat dinner, celebrating Jewish life in the up-and-coming St. Louis enclave, the open, high-ceilinged space forming a backdrop to the sounds and sights of Shabbat as young adults, graduate students, and local residents mingled well into the night.

For more information on Chabad of the Central West End, visit: https://www.chabadcwe.org/