Bais Rivkah Announces Groundbreaking for New Seminary Campus

Bais Rivkah Seminary, the Higher Learning division of the flagship Bais Rivkah School in Crown Heights, has announced the groundbreaking for a new $25 million campus. The gorgeous and spacious buildings will house classrooms, recreational facilities, and an expansive dormitory to accommodate its incredible, growing program and student body.

The entire community is invited to a groundbreaking event which will IY”H take place on Sunday, Gimmel Tammuz – June 13 at 11 am and will mark the beginning of a landmark project in the Crown Heights neighborhood.

Founded in 1964 by the Rebbe, Bais Rivka Seminary has grown at a steady pace throughout the years and has been located in rented properties throughout Brooklyn.

In recent years, thanks to the dedication and investment of the teachers and staff who have established Seminary’s reputation as a premier higher learning institute, the Seminary has experienced exponential growth in enrollment. Its current location, a building located on Nostrand Ave, is far too small to service the student body of 200+ young women.

The influx of students who come from out of town means that dormitories have been multiplying and finding places in scattered apartments throughout the neighborhood.

“The Seminary is a shining light to the community and the world, and a foundational part of the education for the thousands that have passed through its doors,” the Board of Directors explained. “The plans underway will resolve the space constraints and give them the proper facilities to expand and increase their impact.”

The plans for the new building, located on Montgomery Street between New York and Nostrand Avenues, include 16 classrooms, over 200 dormitory beds, a social hall, lecture rooms, pool, exercise room, gym, libraries, and outdoor deck. The project has a projected cost of $25 million, of which almost $8 million has been secured from donors.

“It is no secret that the years spent in Seminary have a lasting impact on its students,” Mrs. Chani Wolf, teacher and a member of the Seminary Hanhala remarked. “The years spent in Seminary are arguably the most formative years of a girl’s life. It’s the time when they start asking themselves important questions: who am I? What choices am I making? Where am I going with my life? It’s incredible to see how a year or two spent in seminary can be so meaningful, transformative and impactful.”

The classrooms are bursting at the seams with curious, ambitious young women.

“I went to Bais Rivkah for Seminary Beis,” shared Chanie Geisinsky. “It impacted me tremendously because for the first time we were learning because we wanted to, not because we had to. “It was an entirely new experience. We were thirsting for knowledge and the connection that we felt to the Rebbe and learning was really special.”

Morah Chana Gorowitz, the longtime Dean of Bais Rivka Seminary related, “the creation of the new campus will enable us to create a center for the young women in our seminary to live, learn, farbreng and grow – both inside and outside the classroom.”

“It’s time for Bais Rivkah Seminary to have the home that it deserves,” Rabbi Moshe Pinson, Director of Development, shared.

“This is a very exciting and meaningful development for Bais Rivka,” Rabbi Avraham Shemtov, Chairman of the Board of Directors stated. “We are sure that with the Rebbe’s brachos, this project will be an incredible success and bring much nachas to our Rebbe and Rebbetzin.”

The entire community is invited to this groundbreaking event in support of the Rebbe’s school, our community’s school, and the seminary that will shape the mothers and leaders of the next generation. The program of under one hour will be accompanied by live music, refreshments, a video presentation, remarks sharing the project vision and roadmap, and greetings from the administration, board members and donors.