Community Welcome

Hundreds celebrate new Oak Park synagogue.

SHELLI LIEBMAN DORFMAN

StaffWriter

T

hey may have an active radio trans-
mission tower in their back yard,
but inside the former WKQI (95.5
FM) building is a Torah institute
and outreach center that also serves as one of
the area's newest synagogues.
And the 400 guests of the Bais Chabad of
North Oak Park's Sept. 12 open house were
able to see the inner workings of the more
than 9,000 square-foot facility.
Shabbat services once were run out of a
rented room in Oak Park; and the library,
classes and an office were based in the home of
the synagogue's rabbi, Shea Werner. Now
everything is under one roof, and it was time
to show it off.
"At the open house, we were able to share
with the community our building, where we
have davening three times each day and hold
classes, children's programming and teen activ-
ities," Rabbi Werner said. "There is also room
for events and programs to be held in our
social hall, which we also rent out. There is
space for 250 people."
Renovation of the building, which was
overseen by member Akiva Whitt of Oak
Park, also includes a sanctuary, chapel, class-
rooms, offices, library and kitchen.
Amid kids snacking on cotton candy and
holding onto balloons, the afternoon reception
also included a tribute to Edward and Gloria
Meer of Bloomfield Hills, who gifted the

building to the congregation, and to syna-
gogue donors Dr. Jerome and Shaindel Kasle
of Oak Park.
"We also wanted guests to be able to tour
our new building and'for the kids to have fun
in the outdoor moonwalk and in the new chil-
dren's playroom," Rabbi Werner said.
The 200-family congregation also is served
by Rabbi Aaron Amzalak, outreach and pro-
gram director, and by a board, with Rabbi
Pinny Scheiner as president.
Weekly Shabbat services at the new syna-
gogue also welcome one to two dozen
Russian-speaking congregants, who are greeted
with prayer books in Russian. A Russian ser-
mon is offered in a separate setting, while
Rabbi Werner speaks to the rest of the congre-
gation in the sanctuary.
During the week, in addition to Rabbi
Werner's ongoing classes for members and the
community, courses like Learn and Burn (a
women's weekly combination study-aerobics
class) and a course on Kabbalah (Jewish mysti-
cism) are offered.
"We have grown each week since we've
been open," Rabbi Werner said. "We were
happy to be able to show even more people
our beautiful shul and what a wonderful,
warm feeling they can get from being here." ❑

Right: Surrounded by balloons are Oak
Parkers, front row: Eliyahu Bloch, 9,
Menachem Roetter, 10, and Yehoshua
Pirutinsky, and, back row: Dovi Rosenberg, 9,
and Hudsi Rosenberg, 8.

\ ,

Ashi Schwartz, 18 months, and Dalia Schwartz, 4,
both of Oak Park, play with a child-sized plastic
workbench.

Chana Amzalak, 3, sits on her mother Miriam's lap,
while her brother Chaim, 2, all of Oak Park, plays
nearby.

w

Oak Parkers Penina Forta, 13, and Esther Babayov,
14, make cotton candy treats for the crowd.

N

4 t

10/22
2004

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