Heichal Menachem Acquires Iconic Lubavitch Shul for New Center

On Monday, Rosh Chodesh Kislev, Heichal Menachem Boro Park completed the purchase of a new building to serve as a satellite location hosting the overflow of learning, shiurim, and farbrengens. The location is a 100-year-old center of Chabad in Boro Park where the Rebbe once visited.

By Anash.org reporter

On Monday, Rosh Chodesh Kislev, Heichal Menachem Boro Park completed the purchase of a new building to serve as a satellite location hosting the overflow of learning, shiurim, and farbrengens.

The new facility will supplement the existing Beis Reb Yoel which is now filled to capacity daily. Rooms that were previously used only on occasion have lately been opened for use to house the overflow crowd. The new location will now accommodate tens more of locals who wish to learn Chassidus.

In addition, considering the nature of city life, with limited parking and a culture of walking, Boro Park residents tend to frequent shuls and botei medroshim close to home. Another location opens the possibility of engagement with a new and diverse crowd.

As the flagship organization for hafotzas hamayonos on both a global and local scale, Heichal Menachem of Boro Park is constantly developing and adapting to changing realities.

Established in the winter of 5753, under the leadership of R’ Leibel Altein, it recieved a bracha of the Rebbe. It’s goal is to actualize the mission of the Rebbeim, thereby spreading the wellsprings of Chassidus to all Yidden in an elucidated and meaningful manner. Various initiatives were introduced including arranging shiurim, farbrengens and opening a library dedicated to Chassidus seforim. 

“Chassidus Via Telephone,” founded in 5744, is the very first automated global phone system. The Rebbe noted the significance of this unprecedented venture, during the farbrengen of Shabbos Parshas Bechukosai 5744. It features thousands of Chassidus Shiurim in four languages and offers worldwide accessibility. Heichel Menachem has operated this system, whereby one hundred thousand shiurim are disseminated and listened to each month, totaling over one million lectures studied each year. 

Heeding the Rebbe’s insistence to utilizing technology to promote Chassidus, the database has been recently upgraded to an app with upwards of 500,000 clicks a month by thousands of active users.

As time passed the lease of the building housing the library ended and for years the shiurim and farbrengens continued at Beis Menachem shul on 16th Avenue. After the passing of R’ Yoel Kahn, who had delivered shiurim and farbrengens at Heichal Menachem for years, a new center named “Beis Reb Yoel” was established. It serves as a comfortable well-lit beis medrash open 24 hours a day for learning, davening and farbrengens.   

Every evening, Beis Reb Yoel is full of men of all ages and backgrounds learning nigleh and Chassidus. Simultaneously there is a nightly kollel specifically for the study of Tanya where over 20 yungerleit learn under the guidance of the mashpia R’ Shimon Dexter. The center also hosts numerous shiurim by a roster of renowned mashpi’im including R’ Leibel Altein, R’ Fishel Oster, R’ Berel Korf, and R’ Shimon Dexter. Almost every Shabbos the shul is graced by a guest mashpia.

To assist the many in Boro Park who limit their engagement with technology and prefer to listen to shiurim on MP3 players, several computers were recently made available. They form a kiosk to use Otzar Hachochma and download shiurim from the new “Chassidus” app and Kol Haloshon. And, of course, a center for disseminating Chassidus wouldn’t be complete without a store selling seforim of Chassidus Chabad.

Heichal Menachem is also known for its global reach through publishing seforim, most notably, spearheading the writing of the Chassidus Mevueres series. This heralded an entirely new genre of commentary on Chassisdus. To date, 6 volumes have been released on Maamorim of the Alter Rebbe, one having arrived from print recently, and 8 volumes on Tanya. Over half a million volumes have been sold to date.

Now, the latest step in its hafotzas hamayonos, Heichal Menachem has purchased this new property to expand their impact.

The newly purchased center is at the site of the historic Ahavas Achim Tzemach Tzedek shul, colloquially known as “Simpson’s Shul,” at 1546 46th St, between 15th and 16th Avenues. The acquisition ensures that it remains true to the shul’s mission as the earliest beacon of Chabad Chassidus in Boro Park.

When the Frierdiker Rebbe visited the United States in 5689 (1929), he resided on the second floor of the shul’s previous location on 14th Ave corner 46th St. R’ Elya Simpson who later served as secretary of the Frierdiker Rebbe, was appointed rov a year earlier in 1928. That building was later destroyed by a fire in 1934 and in 1936 the current shul at 1546 46th was purchased, making it one of the oldest shtibelach in Boro Park.

The Rebbe visited the shul on the 24th of Iyar 5711 (1951) to serve as sandak at the bris of Yosef Rosenfeld, a grandson of Rabbi Simpson and spoke a sicha at the seudah. The shul also served many other initiatives and historic events such as hosting the first classes of Bais Rivka, and also Beis Yakov of Boro Park.

After Rebbetzin Simpson passed away in 5723 (1963), her daughter and son-in-law Rabbi Avrohom Yitzchok Rosenfeld moved in to live with Rabbi Simpson and help run the shul. After Rabbi Simpson’s passing on the 5th night chanukah 5737, Rabbi Rosenfeld took his place and leads the shul until todayלאורך ימים ושנים טובות.

The Tzemach Tzedek shul served for many years as the central meeting point for tahalucha on yomim tovim from where the groups spread out to other shuls. R’ Yoel Kahn’s very first Tanya shiurim in Boro Park were held in that shul, as well as his first Simchas Beis Hashoeiva farbrengens. 

The purchase of the building by Heichal Menachem was made possible by generous sponsors which deserve appreciation and for whom undoubtedly the Rabbeim will daven for them to be gebentched for success in all their endeavors.

Much appreciation is due to the entire Rosenfeld family for making the building for purchase by Heichal Menachem at a discounted price, enabling this landmark to remain a beacon of light in spreading the wellsprings of Chassidus. Their part in hafotzas hamayonos will surely stand them in good stead, may they be gebentched with all brachos.

Plana are underway to upgrade and renovate the historic property to make it welcoming and accommodating as is suitable for this special center for the spreading of Chassidus.

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