By Mindy Rubenstein - Chabad.org
Susan Cohen recalls the cement-pouring ceremony last year for Chabad of Myrtle Beachs new mikvahits ritual bathand how the whole process is really bringing the community together.
The feeling was just incredible, says Cohen, who has been part of the Chabad community since 1991. Big smiles and jumping and cheering; people were very happy. It was wonderful.
Chabad of Myrtle Beach sits in a quiet seaside neighborhood a few blocks from the Atlantic Ocean. Within its modest beige-and-blue walls is a bustling synagogue and thriving school with more than 100 children ages 2 through the eighth grade.
Slowly, but surely, the Jewish community is steadily growing in this South Carolina resort city, which attracts 14 million visitors annually due to its nearly year-round balmy climate. Rabbi Doron Aizenman, co-director of Chabad of Myrtle Beach with his wife, Leah, hands over a yearbook showcasing the school and the beaming faces of its students.
We believe there is a need here as the Chassidic community grows, says Aizenman of the shuls expansion. The new, two-story structure sits in a large lot behind the existing building and playground, and will house the state-of-the-art mikvah facility, as well as a library and offices.
He believes it is the only mikvah in South Carolina and beyond that will have space devoted to both men and women.
Chabad of Myrtle Beach began construction on the new building about nearly three years ago, completing a little bit at a time, says Aizenman. The shul prefers to do it this way, he adds, without borrowing money, so as not to take away from the school and existing synagogue programs.
He expects it to be finished within a year.
Great Place to Live and Visit
Cohen agrees that its been a long process, but the rabbi has extremely strong emunah [faith], and hes pulling it off. She adds that the Jewish community is indeed growing, and that the area is a great place to live and to visit.
In addition to the climate, winter visitors from Brooklyn, N.Y., and other northern cities choose to retreat to Myrtle Beach because of its affordable hotel rooms, pleasant environment and available kosher food. Some regulars have been vacationing there for 10 years or more, according to Aizenman, who affirms that its always a pleasure to see them coming back.
Most people, says Aizenman, find out about this destinationa 10-hour drive from New York all the way down the Atlantic coastby word of mouth.
As for the permanent community, it consists of many Israelis, who own souvenir and beach shops in the area.
The shul offers a daily and Shabbat minyan, or prayer service. Three other rabbis are on staff: Aizenmans son Menachem; Rabbi Yosef Neparstek and his wife, Chana; and Rabbi Yaakov Ginsburg and his wife, Sara. And they have discussed starting a yeshivah, a college for Jewish young men.
We are running out of space in current building, says Aizenman. So we want to utilize this opportunity to build and add on.
The philosophy of the school, he explains, focuses on meeting students where theyre at: I truly believe that our educators understand that every child has individual needs. They need to be catered to in their own way.
A Labor of Love
The Aizenmans moved to Myrtle Beach in 1987 from Brooklyn. He was born in Israel; went to yeshivah in Morristown, N.J.; and spent three years learning in Seattle.
The Rebbe [Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory] wanted me to go where there were no other shluchim, he says.
Its a labor of love, attests Leah Aizenman about their beginnings. They jumped in with both feet, immediately starting a Hebrew school, and soon after, a day school and a summer camp.
The day school has a hot-lunch program, with a weekly truck from Atlantasix hours awaydelivering kosher food for the kids and for community members as well. People can place an order on Monday and get food on Wednesday, she says. There is currently one kosher restaurant and a grocery store in Myrtle Beach that carries kosher items.
The shul offers a kiddush lunch every Shabbat, and in the winter, a Friday-night meal as well. A very high percentage of our community keeps kosher, she says.
With the new mikvah and the planned yeshivah, Chabad of Myrtle Beach hopes to attract Jews from other larger cities who may want a more laid-back lifestyle. It helps, too, that with the Internet, people can work remotely and live in all sorts of out-of-the-way places, says Leah Aizenman.
They estimate that about 3,000 Jews live in Myrtle Beach; about 400 are affiliated with Chabad. An overwhelming 85 percent of their community is Israeli, according to the Aizenmans.
The shuls annual December fundraiser coincides with the beach-store convention held each year in Myrtle Beach. This year, the event drew more than 400 people to the area, he says.
We feel that Myrtle Beach is a cosmopolitan tourist town with a nice, year-round community offering classes, a school, outreach and programs for teens, says the rabbi. Our new mikvah building is a reflection of our community, as we look toward the future.
Susan Cohen recalls the cement-pouring ceremony last year for Chabad of Myrtle Beachs new mikvahits ritual bathand how the whole process is really bringing the community together.
The feeling was just incredible, says Cohen, who has been part of the Chabad community since 1991. Big smiles and jumping and cheering; people were very happy. It was wonderful.
Chabad of Myrtle Beach sits in a quiet seaside neighborhood a few blocks from the Atlantic Ocean. Within its modest beige-and-blue walls is a bustling synagogue and thriving school with more than 100 children ages 2 through the eighth grade.
Slowly, but surely, the Jewish community is steadily growing in this South Carolina resort city, which attracts 14 million visitors annually due to its nearly year-round balmy climate. Rabbi Doron Aizenman, co-director of Chabad of Myrtle Beach with his wife, Leah, hands over a yearbook showcasing the school and the beaming faces of its students.
We believe there is a need here as the Chassidic community grows, says Aizenman of the shuls expansion. The new, two-story structure sits in a large lot behind the existing building and playground, and will house the state-of-the-art mikvah facility, as well as a library and offices.
He believes it is the only mikvah in South Carolina and beyond that will have space devoted to both men and women.
Chabad of Myrtle Beach began construction on the new building about nearly three years ago, completing a little bit at a time, says Aizenman. The shul prefers to do it this way, he adds, without borrowing money, so as not to take away from the school and existing synagogue programs.
He expects it to be finished within a year.
Great Place to Live and Visit
Cohen agrees that its been a long process, but the rabbi has extremely strong emunah [faith], and hes pulling it off. She adds that the Jewish community is indeed growing, and that the area is a great place to live and to visit.
In addition to the climate, winter visitors from Brooklyn, N.Y., and other northern cities choose to retreat to Myrtle Beach because of its affordable hotel rooms, pleasant environment and available kosher food. Some regulars have been vacationing there for 10 years or more, according to Aizenman, who affirms that its always a pleasure to see them coming back.
Most people, says Aizenman, find out about this destinationa 10-hour drive from New York all the way down the Atlantic coastby word of mouth.
As for the permanent community, it consists of many Israelis, who own souvenir and beach shops in the area.
The shul offers a daily and Shabbat minyan, or prayer service. Three other rabbis are on staff: Aizenmans son Menachem; Rabbi Yosef Neparstek and his wife, Chana; and Rabbi Yaakov Ginsburg and his wife, Sara. And they have discussed starting a yeshivah, a college for Jewish young men.
We are running out of space in current building, says Aizenman. So we want to utilize this opportunity to build and add on.
The philosophy of the school, he explains, focuses on meeting students where theyre at: I truly believe that our educators understand that every child has individual needs. They need to be catered to in their own way.
A Labor of Love
The Aizenmans moved to Myrtle Beach in 1987 from Brooklyn. He was born in Israel; went to yeshivah in Morristown, N.J.; and spent three years learning in Seattle.
The Rebbe [Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory] wanted me to go where there were no other shluchim, he says.
Its a labor of love, attests Leah Aizenman about their beginnings. They jumped in with both feet, immediately starting a Hebrew school, and soon after, a day school and a summer camp.
The day school has a hot-lunch program, with a weekly truck from Atlantasix hours awaydelivering kosher food for the kids and for community members as well. People can place an order on Monday and get food on Wednesday, she says. There is currently one kosher restaurant and a grocery store in Myrtle Beach that carries kosher items.
The shul offers a kiddush lunch every Shabbat, and in the winter, a Friday-night meal as well. A very high percentage of our community keeps kosher, she says.
With the new mikvah and the planned yeshivah, Chabad of Myrtle Beach hopes to attract Jews from other larger cities who may want a more laid-back lifestyle. It helps, too, that with the Internet, people can work remotely and live in all sorts of out-of-the-way places, says Leah Aizenman.
They estimate that about 3,000 Jews live in Myrtle Beach; about 400 are affiliated with Chabad. An overwhelming 85 percent of their community is Israeli, according to the Aizenmans.
The shuls annual December fundraiser coincides with the beach-store convention held each year in Myrtle Beach. This year, the event drew more than 400 people to the area, he says.
We feel that Myrtle Beach is a cosmopolitan tourist town with a nice, year-round community offering classes, a school, outreach and programs for teens, says the rabbi. Our new mikvah building is a reflection of our community, as we look toward the future.