Georgia’s Historic Camak House Purchased by Chabad

By Mendel Super – Chabad.org

Georgia’s historic Camak House, which sits on a two-acre property in downtown Athens, will come alive once again when Chabad-Lubavitch of Athens completes preservation and refurbishment of the 188-year-old home and property.

Once the residence of James Camak, a mathematics teacher in whose home the Georgia Railroad Company was chartered, the site will eventually become a Jewish center for students at the University of Georgia and local community members.

Nestled among the tree-lined heart of a city that combines Southern charm with college-town vibrancy, the historic property, which Chabad purchased earlier this year, will become an oasis for Jewish students.

It will allow them to relax and unwind in the gardens and pray, study and celebrate in a planned additional structure that will include dining space, a commercial kosher kitchen, multipurpose rooms and a synagogue.

Chabad of Athens and UGA—directed by Rabbi Michoel and Chana Refson—is in talks with the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation on how best to utilize the property while maintaining its unique character and storied history.

Initial plans propose that the Refsons, with their eight children, will occupy part of the property—the first family to live there since 1947—and other proposed structures will be a synagogue and space to host the students who frequent the center for Shabbat meals, classes, and just to hang out.

“Acquiring this property is the beginning of a dream for Chabad of Athens,” says Rabbi Refson. “Step by step, while working within the framework of the historic aesthetic and feel, we will bring life to this home once again.”

Since 2005, the Refsons and their growing family have been serving the Jewish population at the University of Georgia, which numbers about 2,000 students. Additionally, they make the center inviting for the area’s approximately 1,000 Jews, which makes for a unique community of students and locals.

Chabad offers an array of programming throughout the week, including a selection of accredited Torah classes, Israel education, a weekly Tuesday-night kosher dinner, and “lots of one-on-one study,” adds Chana Refson, and culminating with the week’s highlight, the Shabbat dinner.

“This building means history, yet also growth,” Chana Refson tells Chabad.org. “There will be more space to continue what we do on a larger scale, and the location will help attract a more diverse crowd.” She explains that they’ve moved twice as they grew. The weekly Shabbat dinner can see more than 140 students participate; their old center was bursting at the seams, needing use of an outdoor tent to accommodate the crowds for almost two years now.

The new space will bring the local community and the students together, she says, with more space to focus on the needs of the different demographics. “We’ve seen great interest from the local community, and we will begin offering family and youth programming now as well,” says Refson.

For the students, the center will be “an oasis in Athens,” she adds. “Athens is a bustling party city. We will have a serene outdoor space for the students to relax, study, and get together with friends while surrounded by nature.”

Rabbi Refson notes that student housing in the downtown area has grown tremendously over the last decade. “There’s lots of development; it’s become a very central area for students. The location is exactly what we were looking for.”