New Shluchim to Eastside Cincinnati

For the first time, Chabad is establishing a permanent home in urban Eastside Cincinnati. Rabbi Levik and Mushky Gourarie (nee Ezagui) — who were brought down by Rabbi Yisroel Mangel of Chabad of Cincinnati to launch the Eastside’s first Chabad center — along with their baby Menachem, will be serving local young professionals and the wider Jewish community downtown.

Plans include prayer services, holiday celebrations, Torah classes, “First Fridays” Shabbat meals for young professionals, and events throughout local neighborhoods like Hyde Park, Norwood, and Oakley. “We’ll also be gathering for Lunch-and-Learn Torah classes in offices downtown, and we’re looking forward to Menorah lightings throughout the Eastside this year,” Rabbi Gourarie said.

In late August, they hosted a meet-and-greet at Washington Park, where more than forty young Jewish professionals came together for drinks, kosher bites, and connection. “For some, it was their first interaction with anything Jewish in Cincinnati,” Rabbi Gourarie said. “It wasn’t just locals — we met people who had just recently moved here and are looking to get involved with something meaningful.”

Brice Gottesman, a native Cincinnatian who has long been active within the local young Jewish professional community, noted that the new Chabad presence is already making a difference. “It’s good to have Chabad here to get people connected. I’m already seeing examples of that,” he said. At the Washington Park meet-and-greet, for instance, “about 40 percent of the people there I’d never met before.”

Gottesman is optimistic about the High Holidays as a chance to keep the momentum going. “We have Rosh Hashanah coming up with a holiday dinner, and I think it’s going to draw a strong crowd,” he said.

The Gouraries are not just building for the present — they’re looking ahead. “The vision is that young professionals we connect with will eventually settle down and stay connected to Jewish life in the area,” Rabbi Gourarie explained. At the same time, longtime locals are looking forward to a new synagogue and community hub in their neighborhood.

To support the new Shluchim, visit: charidy.com/cyjpcincy