The Chabad House for Chabad’s Very Own

Photos: Chani Katzman @snappedbychani

The Rebbe’s mission resounds with clarity: “Every Jew must be reached.” Throughout the world, Shluchim have been dispatched to every corner, driven by this powerful mission. Together, we’ve embarked on this task with exceptional dedication, reaching and impacting Jewish lives far and wide. Now, as the future of the next generation of Chabad, we ask: Who will support us?

I am a newlywed 22-year-old, who grew up on Shlichus. My husband and I are the children who proudly contributed to the mission of our Rebbe. We were the counselors who spent summers in camps, the Shluchim who spent the year assisting with programs, and we embarked on mivtzoyim, proudly sacrificing our own comfort in the mission of reaching every Jew. Many young adults, like myself and my husband, who are post-Seminary and Yeshiva, either move to or wish to remain in Crown Heights for the opportunity of a robust social life, spiritual connection, and healthy independence. However, many young Chabad adults have found that there wasn’t a young community to join, a place to continue igniting our fires and connecting to our yiddishkeit, with options being either exclusive class shuls or very established shuls etc.

Rabbi Eli and Myriam Engelson, founders of The Soul House, didn’t merely establish a shul in Crown Heights; they created a strong, vibrant community where young Chabad adults finally found a place to belong. They embrace and nurture the souls of the next generation, the souls of your children. They created a Chabad house for the children of Chabad. They have cultivated a space of continuous Torah learning, free from judgment, no matter the person’s background, while pouring their hearts, resources, and energy into every program they organize for every holiday, Chassidic yom tovim, and shiurim.

The highlight lies in the Shabbas experience they offer, a crucial avenue for young adults who otherwise would not have a place to be, starting with a Chassidic shiur every Shabbos morning, a minyan, and completed with a three-course meal during the day. Rabbi Eli and Miriam have embraced the profound role of Mashpiim, providing emotional and spiritual guidance and support within the community of young adults, many of whom have felt cast aside in other environments.

Today I ask you: Embrace the Rebbe’s mission, the mission of EVERY Jew. We’ve supported campaigns for shluchim worldwide, all being worthwhile in order to urge a Jew to perform one more mitzvah. Now, your children, your neighbors, ask for your support. A community of young adults relies not only on our own contributions but also on the support of those who are more established, as we are in a phase of building our lives. Empower us and be apart of raising The Soul House to new heights. We are “Every Jew” too.

Click here to donate the the Soul House now.