Chabad center to serve as hub for community
BY DAVID JACOBS • [email protected] • May 24, 2009
Reno's Jewish community is nearing a milestone it will mark Tuesday with the debut of Chabad of Northern Nevada's new 13,500-square-foot regional center at 1175 W. Moana Lane.
"The Chabad center is to provide the services, the
"I believe that this will have an effect on the future of Northern Nevada," he said, spurring a Jewish thriving community in the region. "I think this will help the community grow" while helping non-Jews, as well.
The center will serve as a place of worship, include a Jewish day
"It's all like a community center," said Cunin's wife, Sarah, educational director of the Jewish day school for children in pre-school through the fourth grade.
Cooking classes also are planned. The center will feature a full Kosher commercial kitchen so Chabad can sell challah (special bread) for the Shabbat (the Jewish sabbath) and other products, Rabbi Cunin said.
"It's a full facility that has the potential to supply all of the needs for Kosher (food) and for all other Jewish educational aspects in particular and for the general public, as well," he said.
The rabbi describes conversion of the former office building to the Chabad Regional Center as a community effort so strong that dollars can't be put on the effort.
"We can't say the real price because local companies have donated 50 percent of time and material," Cunin said. "It's been a great sign, unbelievable, how so much of the building was donated as far as material and labor."
His No. 1 hope for the center involves a Hebrew phrase that translates to "divine presence shall reside in the work of our hands."
"In Hebrew, the 'work of our hands' is something that you've accomplished, something you've done," Cunin said."It's a blessing that they said after the Tabernacle was built in the desert, they said this prayer."
With "love and energy" provided by Chabad and the community in building the center, Cunin hopes it will "fulfill what it's supposed to do and ultimately make this world a better place, a happier, spiritual world."
He noted that the first sabbath service there is planned for Friday, which also happens to fall on the Jewish holiday of Shavuot, marking the anniversary of the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai. The torah is the entire body of Jewish religious literature and contains the five books of Moses.
"It's divine providence that the dedication is Tuesday and the holiday is Friday," Cunin said.