The West Hampstead Jewish community gathered in celebration this week as Chabad of West Hampstead unveiled its brand-new CTeen Lounge, marking a significant milestone for local Jewish youth programming.

The project was led by Shluchim Rabbi Dovid and Chana Katz, together with Rabbi Menachem and Tobale Vogel, with the support from Rabbi Dov and Aidel Katzel, who collectively helped shape the vision and development of the new teen space. The opening featured a ribbon-cutting and a Mezuzah dedication ceremony.

Located on the top floor of the Gan Yeladim preschool building, which has seen tremendous growth in recent years, the new lounge represents the next stage in the building’s evolution. What began as a thriving preschool has expanded into a full Youth Centre, now home to a wide range of children’s and teen programming serving the broader community.

The lounge itself is designed with both beauty and practicality in mind, which was created through generous funding from CTeen Headquarters in New York, complete with customised furniture and branding, as well as generous local donors. The lounge has been dedicated in memory of Rabbi Moshe Kotlarsky, of blessed memory, who was the visionary behind CTeen.

Shmulik and Yiska Aizenberg came in specially for the occasion and sponsored the dedication in his memory. Shmulik shared a few meaningful words and unveiled the dedication plaque. Months of planning, creativity, and hard work went into transforming the space into a vibrant and welcoming hub for local Jewish teens.

Before the public opening, the teens were treated to an exclusive inaugural preview. Seeing the lounge for the first time, they explored every corner of the new space, expressing excitement and admiration for its modern design and thoughtful details.

With the successful launch, Chabad of West Hampstead has already scheduled a full calendar of CTeen events and activities for the year, ensuring ongoing opportunities for learning, connection, and personal growth.

The broader West Hampstead community turned out in impressive numbers for the dedication ceremony, celebrating the remarkable achievement and the bright future it represents for local youth. During the event, a few words were also shared via Zoom by Rabbi Mendy Kotlarsky, adding a meaningful connection to the global CTeen leadership.

The excitement around the new lounge has also helped secure a large group of local teens to join the upcoming CTeen International Shabbaton in New York.

One teen summed up the enthusiasm shared by many: “This new lounge makes us feel like we have a real home of our own. It’s inspiring, it’s fun, and it makes us excited to be part of CTeen more than ever.”