By COLlive reporter
Photos by Baruch Ezagui
A groundbreaking ceremony was held this week in the Rockland County village of Airmont, NY, for a new shul being built by Chassidic singing sensation Lipa Schmeltzer.
The new structure, to be built near Schmeltzer’s home, will house the New Beis Medrash D’Airmont, which is open only on Shabbos and holidays.
Despite the fact that the Village of Airmont has been sued twice in Federal Court for religious discrimination, Lipa’s attorney, Ryan Karben, said that getting approval on permits for the building was a relatively smooth, if time consuming process.
The ceremony, which including a few prayers and saying L’Chaim, was attended by fellow congregants as well as singers R’ Michoel Schnitzler, Beri Weber and a newcomer to the music industry (and Lipa’s nephew) Sruli Green.
One participant, who plays an important role in the Shul, yet was at the event for a few brief moments due to prior engagements was Rabbi Aaron Dovid Gancz, Mashgiach of Yeshivas Tomchei Temimim Lubavitch in Morristown, NJ.
Gancz, a neighbor of Lipa and head of Chabad Jewish Center of Suffern, was warmly welcomed at the ceremony. “We learn Chassidus every Leil Shabbos (Friday night),” Schmeltzer later told COLlive.com.
He added that Gancz gives a weekly Dvar Torah during Shalosh Seudos on Shabbos afternoon after Mincha and is an inspiration to him.
“We are very grateful to have him involved,” Lipa said.
You are brilliant
I REALY HOPE THE MASHKE HELPED
very funny but i dont understand why they are putting money and vodka in the ground.
the poring of mashke i liked
We had a Shabboton last year with rabbi Ganz at his house, with a group of bochurim from Morristown, and a few of us went with him to lipas shul to hear him speak, and it was really really nice! You could see how inspired the people are from what he is saying, and he already has
a few people that are coming closer to the rebbe and chabad as a result!
Go Rabbi Ganz!!!
Using ur $$$ for kedusha! U should be gebentshed with only good!!
If Lipa REALLY listened to a Chassidishe mashpia he’d be DRINKING that Smirnoff instead of wasting it that way!
I was always told “money doesn’t grow on trees”….maybe it grows in cement watered with mashke….
why’s there money in the cement? oh and why’s lipa pouring vodka or whatever it is in there too?
is it a minhag or something?
wo gancz what are you teaching
WOW! lipa knows what hes doin’
Where is Yona A?
rabbi gantz will be a phenomenal mashpia for this oilam
amazing mashgiach turned rav
I think boruch ezagui told Lpa to put the mashkeh.?
they want a lot of money in the founding of the place, lol
The picture of Lipa purring Mashke as a foundation to his Shul shows he has had good influence by Chabad Chasidim :-).
WHY THEY PUTTING MONEY IN THE CEMENT
what’s the money being buried in the cement?
why did they put money on the ground? is that a minhag? and i see lipa poured some lchaim on the ground too….?????
Was avromi berns there? they are very very good freinds. i remeber seeing pictures of lipa and berns.
lipa is a good politician
if not lipa would be a rebbe…
This endeavour wil mit G-ts Hilf bring you and der gantzer mispucha a sach sach brachos b’gashmius u’biruchnios!
Halt on tzu der klamkeh!!!!!