Kingston Cheder Continues Rapid Growth With Third Building

It wasn’t all that long ago that Cheder Menachem of Kingston was operating out of a temporary campus, with nearly half its classrooms housed in trailers. The school eventually moved into its first permanent building, but within five years, it had already outgrown that building and a second one purchased for the boys’ division.

Now, the Cheder has opened its third building in five years, this one dedicated to the girls’ middle school and high school. The original building will continue to house the preschool and girls’ elementary divisions, while the second serves as the boys’ school.

The new building, which originally housed a public school and was more recently used by a plumbing company, was purchased this past summer. Over the following weeks, during Elul and Tishrei, a marathon effort was undertaken to clean and renovate the property, transforming it back into a school ready to welcome students once again.

On Sunday, October 25, parents, students, and community members gathered to celebrate the building’s opening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Kingston Mayor Jeffrey R. Coslett joined the festivities, marking another milestone in the Cheder’s rapid growth.

Rabbi Yossi Baumgarten, executive director of Cheder Menachem, served as master of ceremonies. The program opened with two middle school girls leading the recitation of the Rebbe’s kapitel, followed by Rabbi Yoel Chazan, principal of the boys’ division, who led the crowd in Kapitel Chof in the zechus of our brethren in Eretz Yisroel and around the world.

Harav Gedalya Oberlander, the mara d’asra, delivered divrei Torah u’bracha, speaking about the importance of girls’ education and its vital role in securing Jewish continuity. Rabbi Yehuda Forster, chairman of the Cheder’s board, also addressed the gathering, reflecting on the significance of the new building for the school and the wider Kingston community. Special thanks was given to those who led the efforts to have the building ready in record time, including facilities manager Rabbi Sholom Ber Schtroks and others.

The highlight of the event came as members of the Cheder’s board, together with Rabbi Mendel Hershkop, cut the ribbon to officially inaugurate the building. Rabbi Hershkop was honored on behalf of the Hershkop family, in recognition of their tremendous efforts and contributions to the community.

Following the ribbon cutting, families toured the newly renovated building, getting a firsthand look at the classrooms and facilities that will soon be filled with students. Popcorn and cotton candy were served, giving the children another reason to enjoy the celebration.

“It’s remarkable to see how much the Kingston community grows and how the Cheder grows to keep up with it,” said Rabbi Avrohom Gorman, assistant director of Cheder Menachem. “Having a dedicated building for our girls’ middle school and high school will allow us to continue providing them with the strong Torah and chassidishe chinuch that is at the heart of everything we do.”

To help cover the remaining costs of purchasing and renovating the new building, Cheder Menachem of Kingston has launched a Brick Campaign. Families can purchase a “brick” and have their names featured on a permanent donor wall in the building for generations of students to see. Buy your brick at Charidy.com/brick.

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