Settlement Clears Way for New Chabad Shul in Millburn

Rabbi Mendel and Mrs. Rivkah Bogomilsky, shluchim in Millburn, New Jersey, are moving ahead with plans for a permanent Chabad center after a settlement with Millburn Township brought the latest round of zoning litigation to a close.

The new center is planned for 165 Old Short Hills Road, a more than three-acre property at the corner of Old Short Hills Road and Parsonage Hill Road. Plans call for a two-story, 21,027-square-foot building containing a shul, classrooms, offices and other community facilities, together with on-site parking, landscaping and related improvements.

The Bogomilskys have served Millburn since 1992, and for years have been trying to secure a permanent home for the growing Chai Center community. Several proposed locations became bogged down in zoning disputes and litigation, leaving the shluchim without the permanent shul they had been working toward.

Their latest effort centered on the Old Short Hills Road property. After months of hearings over parking, stormwater, buffers and other site-plan issues, the Millburn Planning Board denied the application in 2025, prompting the Chai Center to file a federal lawsuit against the township and Planning Board.

The lawsuit ultimately led to a settlement approved by the Millburn Township Committee in August. The agreement provides for approval of the Chai Center application under a revised site plan and includes a $3 million payment to the Bogomilskys.

Township attorneys warned officials that continuing the federal case carried considerable financial risk, including the possibility of damages and attorneys’ fees if Millburn lost. Mayor Frank Saccomandi described the settlement as the “best of a bad situation.”

The settlement and revised plan came before the Planning Board on September 2. The township had set aside the following evening if more time was needed, but canceled the September 3 meeting after the matter was concluded Wednesday night.

The end result also leaves the Chai Center with a property considerably larger and better suited to its needs than sites it had pursued previously.

An earlier proposal involved a smaller property in Millburn and would have provided room for a much smaller shul. The Old Short Hills Road property spans more than three acres, with space for a full community center and substantial on-site parking, and is located within walking distance of many families served by the Chai Center.

Mrs. Bogomilsky described the outcome as a case of hashgacha pratis, with the years of setbacks ultimately leading them to a property better suited to the community.

“I feel relieved, I feel happy and I feel it’s time we have a proper venue where we can have the proper space,” she said.