By COLlive reporter
Chabad Shluchim and Shluchos who visit Crown Heights, the Brooklyn neighborhood home to Lubavitch Headquarters, will soon have a hotel at their service.
And that is thanks to a Satmar chossid.
Approximately 20 Shluchim a week visit Crown Heights throughout the year to daven at the Rebbe’s Ohel and 770, attend an event or fundraise.
While local residents are known for their hospitality, many Shluchim who don’t have relatives or friends here, struggle to find proper accommodations.
Enter 695 East New York Avenue, between Albany and Troy Avenues.
The two-story brick apartment building owned by the Shluchim Office – Chabad Lubavitch Resource Center, will become a state-of-the-art hotel available for visiting Shluchim.
Donating the renovations is R’ Abraham Banda of Williamsburg, owner of Pomegranate, the ultramodern kosher supermarket in Flatbush.
“In my visits to California and Florida, the Shluchim have always honored us and give me and my family whatever we needed – without even knowing who I was,” Banda told COLlive.com.
He said he’s been impressed by activities of the Shluchim Ofiice, where he recently visited with his friend Dudi Farkash, a financial advisor for Guardian Life Insurance Group.
“I saw their sophistication and use of technology for Yiddishkeit – like with the Online School with the children from many time zones. I was very inspired and impressed.”
Banda, who attended the lavish banquet of the International Kinus Hashluchim, plays down the fact that a Satmar chossid is donating to Lubavitch, given past disagreements.
“We have much more in common than we don’t,” he says. “Today, Satmar chassidim very much respect Lubavitch and what the Rebbe has done.”
This coming Shabbos, Banda will be a guest of Farkash in Crown Heights and will be donating a massive kiddush at Congregation Beis Shmuel Chabad, located on Eastern Parkway and Albany.
“He is coming to a shul that always welcomes Shluchim and the whole community is invited to join,” says Farkash, a gabbai of Beis Shmuel.
go mr. everfresh!
Hatzlacha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 😉
he should have much hatzlacha
It is amazing how the Shluchim Office cares about the shluchims ruchnius and gashmius, they keep up coming up with new ways how to make their lives easier, May they be blessed.
he haves a brother living in boro park that is a big chabad chusid that still go’s with the chasidick clothes bouth davens in chabad and calls him self a chabad chusid
what a chizuk this man is bringing, not to mention all the other mitzvos. Wishing him bracha ve hatzlacha, that is really outstanding!!!
I wouldn’t expect something like this from anybody else, From the day that you opened up Pomegranate you showed what a satmer chased and what a yid is all about Yiddy you keep on amazing people with the chased you do But I must say you finely met ur match As I know dudi farkas he is the same You two make a great team in chased and in setting a example All what’s left here is for me to wish you the following may hashem help that you should grow bigger and bigger and you should be able to… Read more »
He is donating the work of construction, but the stays will not be free, if it is u wil have meshulachim from israel who are officialy shluchim sleeping there for 5 months while they walk around crown heights asking every 15 times for money ($1000). They will be offering it at greatly reduced rates for shluchim. Just like the online school where shluchim pay a lot for the school. It cost approx $30-40 a night for a hotel to keep up a room (if its done corrctly – clean linen – housecleaning… -) so they will probably charge whatever it… Read more »
that bonda is a major chusid of the satmar rabbi rabbi ahorn that has very close ties with chabad
pomegranate rocks – mr banada rocks and now hes taking his philanthropy and visionaries to new levels – kol hakovod u should go from strengh to strengh
What will happen when both men and women need a place to stay?
what about when there isnt enough room?
Mr Banda is known for his philanthropy, that’s why Pomegranate is such a success, this will put you over the top
is this hotel charging? or free? how much wuld it cost?
Duddi keep up your great work:)
Supid comment, Lubavitchers open r homes like no other community and unfortunatly we don’t have the funds for such things. Thats when ppl like Mr. Banda come around and recognize that great work Lubs around the world does and contribute to the Shluchim. Way to go Lubavitch
satmar has a lot to teach us about taking care of our own. its embarrasing that we could not raise the funds for such a basic need from our own kehila
I’m sure it’s going to be a beautiful hotel, because it’s based on beauty!
yasher koach mr banda!!!
Dudi Farkash thanks for being gabbai, we missed you thank for the love,we need to learn from you and Mr Banda Satmar heart and Chabad together a great synergy
pomergranate delivers to crown heights already, so go enjoy and lovely clean store, where the service is exemplary.
cola-cavod
that’s nice
Who is going to be responsible to see that the place is kept up properly? Let’s hope that Mr. Banda will be involved with this also because unfortunately there is hardly a building in CH that is maintained in tip top shape.
lets remember to respect them too
let’s be inspired and remember to have ahavas yisroel to Lubavitchers
thanks you very much! this is such a big help and very much needed! yashar koach!
They should be careful that they should do it 100% legally with the City of NY. The City of NY is cracking down on illegal hotel conversions.
R’ Banda, thank you very much. I can guarantee that we will be using the hotel often.
Thank You !!!
You truly have a lovely store that is a pleasure to shop in. When will you deliver to Crown Heights?
And.. Go Online School – wahoo! Go G7!
Achdus! Thank you R.Banda!!! 🙂
a beautiful thing! bless him
this is so nice!!!!
It is not only a nice thing. It is a living representation of the achdus that will being Moshiach B’Ezras Hashem!
This will hopefully allow us to host our groups from out of town – Big Yasher Koach!
Mr. Banda knows what it is!
Will those of us who do not live in Crown Heights and do not have friends and relatives in Crown Heights and are not shluchim ourselves be able to stay in this hotel?
WOW! TOTALLY FANSTASTIC!
‘Todah Raabah,’ Abraham Banda!
Continued great relations between Satmar & Lubavitch.
(Years ago, Lubavitch used to eat Satmar ‘hecksher.’ It was considered one of the best.)
truly a yid “mit a vareme hartz” may he see hatzlacha ten fold in all “maasey yodov” and be bentched with kol tuv