Growing With Our Students
The Cheder Receives A Long Awaited Expansion and Renovation
On November 29, students from the Lubavitch Cheder enjoyed an exciting program in our newly renovated multi-purpose room. Dark wood rafters added an Old World touch as more than 90 boys and girls celebrated the 209th anniversary of the liberation of Chabad's founder from a Czarist prison with a short play, games, and delicious treats. This annual program, held on the 19th of the Hebrew month of Kislev, is just one of many school events and educational activities which will be enhanced by recently completed construction and remodeling at the elementary school building on Coolidge Highway.
On November 18, 5 months to the day after work began on Oak Park's Cheder, students and staff had returned to the Coolidge building. Although a more formal reception is in the planning stages, the event was marked with a special assembly in the multi-purpose room. The excitement of children and adults alike was palpable.
Joining principal Mrs. Chana Stein and Executive Director Rabbi Bentzion Stein for a tour of the school were local philanthropist Ed Meer as well as 2 of his children. The Meer family is the principal donors behind the elementary school's transformation, having given close to $1 million towards the project. With their help, more than 3,000 square feet of classroom, library, and office space was added to the 11,000 square foot building, and the existing structure- long out dated and in a state of disrepair, was repaired and modernized.
As the Meers visited the classrooms, they were delighted to be greeted with warm hugs from four of Ed Meer's great grandchildren who are currently attending the Cheder.
Also joining the tour was architect Seymour Mandel, whose innovative designs created a bright, spacious, and kid-friendly environment. Both Seymour Mandel and Mr. Sam Blumenstein of Permanent Construction (the building company which handled construction) approached the work as true partners with the Cheder. Their dedication saw the project through many unexpected hurdles, caused by the age of the existing building and its structural problems. Construction crews had to both replace the roof and add to an inadequate sewage system. Through it all, they managed to exceed expectations both in the quality of their work and the speed with which it was completed.
Now that the elementary school has finally revamped its once over crowded and threadbare premises, what's next for the school? Well, in true Chabad fashion staff members are all ready expanding the programs offered and looking forward to increasing the number of students reached.
Thanks to a new video room, all classes at the Cheder will be able to incorporate educational multi-media, and the new library and resource room will further enhance the opportunities for learning. The library will also serve as a tutoring room, helping each student to maximize their potential. The Cheder has also added a new kitchen to allow students the chance to enjoy cooking and baking activities, and the sewing courses now have their own classroom.
The two kindergarten classrooms, which have doubled in size, are equipped with puppet theatres, mini kitchens, and toddler size water fountains as well as other state of the art, kid-friendly furnishings. Principal Mrs. Stein expressed her excitement over the changes, "Now we have a base to really expand our kindergarten section". Which means that more kids than ever before will be able to benefit from these changes, as the kindergarten section will now have a more open enrollment policy.
Additional office space and a teacher's lounge were also added.
The next stage in the building project for Oak Park's Lubavitch schools will be to provide proper facilities for our High School and Rabbinical College, both of which are currently housed in the Mishkan Israel building on 9 Mile road, which also houses a Shul. Alumni of both schools recently gathered in New York for a special reception honoring Alan and Lori Zekeleman for making possible the much needed campus expansion for our upper level schools (see Alumni Article).
The Lubavitch Cheder has grown tremendously since first opening their doors in 1965, earning a special reputation for excellence both within the Chabad community and in the wider Jewish community. Today the student body has expanded to include both children from local families and boarding students from across the USA and around the world. With the current construction project, the physical environment in which our students learn will finally be on par with the excellence in teaching and learning, and with the growth in our student body.
