Wedding Surge Prompts Relaunch of Jewish Home Starter Kit

As the days count down to Pesach, wedding invitations pile up—and so do opportunities to help young couples build their homes on a foundation of Torah and mitzvos.

To meet the moment, Chabad Young Professionals at Merkos 302 has relaunched its Jewish Home Starter Kit, a curated box of Jewish essentials that introduces newlyweds to the beauty, meaning, and practice of building a new Jewish home.

“Each item was chosen to convey a core Jewish value,” said Rabbi Beryl Frankel, Director of CYP at Merkos 302. “From tzedakah to taharas hamishpacha, the kit speaks to couples in clear, accessible language. It’s an ideal gift for any Chabad House community.”

Inside the sleek matte black box, couples will find a Kiddush cup, candlesticks, and Shabbat companion for hosting meaningful Shabbat meals; a modern mezuzah case, with an optional scroll; a tzedakah box; and ‘The Joy of Intimacy’ by Rabbi Manis Friedman, helping the couple build a sacred marriage rooted in Torah values and the Rebbe’s teachings.

Each piece in the kit reflects one of the Rebbe’s mivtzoim. From lighting Shabbos candles to giving tzedakah, from a kosher mezuzah to Taharas Hamishpacha, the box is a hands-on guide to building a Jewish home as the Rebbe envisioned: filled with light, joy, and purpose.

“Shluchim are on the front lines of Jewish life. They officiate more Jewish weddings than any other network—often guiding couples from their first questions about Judaism all the way to the chuppah,” said Rabbi Mendy Kotlarsky, Executive Director of Merkos 302. “This kit helps them continue that supportive role, empowering couples to take their first steps as builders of their own Jewish home—with clarity, confidence, and kedusha.”

With wedding season peaking before Pesach and the onset of Sefirah, many Chabad House communities are officiating weddings for couples seeking authentic Jewish ceremonies. The Jewish Home Starter Kit gives shluchim a way to send couples off with tools—and inspiration—for the journey ahead.

Rabbi Peretz Chein, shliach at Brandeis University, said the kit filled a longtime need. “It’s rare to find something elegant and purposeful,” he said. “I gave it to a couple whose wedding I officiated—and now they use the Shabbos pieces every week. It’s transformed their experience.”

The Jewish Home Starter Kit is now available to shluchim for order at:
👉 metatchabad.com/gift