By COLlive reporter
Rabbi Benny and Chany Rapoport, Shluchim to Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania, and surrounding suburbs known as “the Abingtons,” have been serving the local Jewish community since arriving in 2001.
This past year, during the Covid pandemic, their demographic has grown.
For over two decades, their beautiful Chabad house set on a 20-acre homestead, with a shul, library, classrooms, playground and greenspace, has welcomed young and old. A warm, small but strong and vibrant community has formed serving as a garden of yiddishkeit in the tree-covered hills of northeastern Pennsylvania.
Over the past ten years, something unique has been growing and developing alongside their Chabad peulos: Chabad catering, hospitality and kosher events serving the frum families from across the east coast.
Known as “Pocono Kosher,” this arm of their mosed offers onsite/offsite catering to all resorts in the Poconos, hosts Shabbos events at various hotels, plus yeshiva vacation, summer and other peak kosher getaways.
Recently, they have added a 5,000 square foot hospitality center to their campus, with an indoor lounge, dining rooms for 100 and new meat/dairy kitchens. Twenty-foot-high ceilings with skylights and two-story windows bring in the sunshine, offering picturesque views of nature and wildlife all around the facility.
The hospitality center includes a four-season atrium and covered outdoor porches to enjoy the natural beauty of the site.
A suite of 10 bedrooms hosting 30 guests has been added to the main lodge to accommodate families and groups staying over, and construction on 12 single-unit luxury cottages is set to begin this summer providing a full-service experience for simchas, family gatherings and corporate events.
With the advent of covid last summer, Pocono Kosher hosted multiple outdoor weddings in a 7200 square foot mega tent, with lighting, dance floors and high-quality catering.
“It’s really a brocho for our mosod to be able to impact not only local families in the Jewish community that are on their first steps toward Torah and Mitzvos but also the larger frum demographic from NYC, Five Towns, Monsey, Lakewood and beyond that have joined for Shabbos or other private events,” the Rapoports said.
“We are excited to host people on our site and welcome them into our campus and Chabad center to integrate with our local community members.”
To find out more about Pocono Kosher events email [email protected] or contact 570-587-3300.
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Looks amazing!!