Heichal Menachem Purchases Shul the Rebbe Once Visited

On Monday, Rosh Chodesh Kislev, Heichal Menachem Center in Boro Park completed the purchase of a new building to serve as a satellite location hosting the overflow of learning, shiurim and farbrengens.

The new facility will not replace the existing Beis Reb Yoel, which is filled to capacity. Rooms that were previously used only on occasion have lately been opened for use to house the overflow crowd.

“Considering the nature of city life, with limited parking, and culture of walking, Boro Park people tend to frequent shuls and botei medroshim close to home,” said Rabbi Leibel Altein, Director of Heichel Menachem in Boro Park. “Another location in the neighborhood opens the possibility of engagement with a new and diverse crowd.”

As the flagship organization for hafotzas hamayonos on both a global and local scale, Heichal Menachem of Boro Park is constantly developing and adapting to changing realities.
Established in the winter of 5753, under the leadership of R’ Leibel Altein, it merited the brocha of the Rebbe. Its goal is to actualize the mission of the Rebbeim, thereby spreading the wellsprings of Chassidus to all Yidden in an elucidated and meaningful manner. Various initiatives were introduced including arranging shiurim, farbrengens and opening a library dedicated to Chassidus seforim.

Chassidus Via Telephone, which they founded in 5744, is the very first automated global phone system. The Rebbe noted the significance of this unprecedented venture, during the farbrengen of Shabbos Parshas Bechukosai 5744. It features thousands of Chassidus Shiurim in four languages and offers worldwide accessibility. Heichel Menachem operates this system, whereby one hundred thousand shiurim are disseminated and listened to each month, totaling over one million lectures studied each year.

Heeding the Rebbe’s insistence to utilize technology to promote Chassidus, the database has been recently upgraded to an app with upwards of 500,000 clicks a month by thousands of active users.

In recent years, the lease of building housing the Heichal Menachem library ended, and the shiurim and farbrengens continued at Beis Menachem Shul on 16th Avenue in Boro Park. After the passing of R’ Yoel Kahn obm, who had delivered shiurim and farbrengens at Heichal Menachem for years, a new center named ‘Beis Reb Yoel’ was established. It serves as a comfortable, well-lit beis hamedrash open all day for learning, davening and farbrengens.

Every evening the Heichal is full of men of all ages and backgrounds learning nigleh and Chassidus. Simultaneously, there is a nightly kollel specifically for the study of Tanya where over 20 yungeleit learn under the guidance of the mashpia R’ Shimon Dexter. The center also hosts numerous shiurim by a roster of renowned mashpi’im including R’ Leibel Altein, R’ Fishel Oster, R’ Berel Korf, and the aforementioned R’ Shimon Dexter. Almost every Shabbos the shul is graced by a guest mashpia.

To assist the many in Boro Park who limit their engagement with technology and prefer to listen to shiurim on MP3 players, recently several computers were made available. They form a kiosk to use the Otzar Hachochma database and to download shiurim from the Chassidus app and Kol Haloshon.

A center for disseminating Chassidus wouldn’t be complete without a store selling seforim of Chassidus Chabad.

Another important project of Heichal Menachem with a global reach is publishing seforim. Most notably spearheading the writing of the Chassidus Mevueres series. This heralded an entire new genre of commentary on Chassidus. To date, 6 volumes have been released on Maamorim of the Alter Rebbe, one having arrived from print recently and 8 volumes on Tanya. Over half a million volumes have been sold.

The newly purchased center is the site of the historic Ahavas Achim Tzemach Tzedek shul, colloquially known as ‘Simpson’s Shul’ at 1546 46th St, between 15th and 16th Avenues. The acquisition ensures that it remains true to its mission as the earliest beacon of Chabad Chassidus in Boro Park.

When the Rebbe Rayatz visited the United States in 5689 (1929), he actually resided on the second floor of the shul’s previous location on 14th Avenue, at the corner of 46th Street. Rabbi Elya Simpson, who later served as secretary of the Rebbe Rayatz, was appointed rov a year earlier in 1928. That building was later destroyed by a fire in 1934 and in 1936 the current shul at 1546 46th was purchased, making it one of the oldest shtibelach in Boro Park.

Many initiatives and historic events took place in the shul. The first classes of Bais Rivkah were held there, as well as Beis Yaakov of Boro Park.

The Rebbe visited the shul on the 24th of Iyar 5711 (1951) to serve as sandak at the bris of Yosef Rosenfeld, a grandson of Rabbi Simpson and spoke a sicha at the seudah.

In 1963 Rebbetzin Simpson passed away and her daughter and son-in-law Rabbi Avrohom Yitzchok Rosenfeld moved in to live with Rabbi Simpson and help run the shul. After Rabbi Simpson’s passing on the 5th night of Chanukah 5737, Rabbi Rosenfeld took his place and leads the shul until today.

On Yomim Tovim this shul was the central meeting point for tahalucha from where the groups spread out to other shuls. R’ Yoel Kahn’s very first Tanya shiurim in Boro Park were held there, as well as his first simchas beis hashoeiva farbrengens.

“The purchase of the building by Heichal Menachem was made possible by generous sponsors who deserve appreciation and for whom undoubtedly the Rabbeim will arouse rachmim rabim for them to be gebentched for success in all their endeavors,” said Rabbi Altein. “Much appreciation is due to the entire Rosenfeld family for selling the building for a discounted price, enabling this landmark to remain a beacon of light in spreading the wellsprings of chassidus, Their part in hafotzas hamayonos will surely stand them in good stead, may they be gebentched with all brachos.”