New Home for Buckhurst Chabad

The Chabad Lubavitch Centre of Buckhurst Hill, set up in 2005 by Rabbi Odom and Henny Brandman to serve the local and wider community has just moved to much larger premises on Epping New Road where their new offices, Shul, meeting rooms and teen “garage” will allow them to greatly expand their services and programs.

The new Chabad House is a 3 story building at a prominent junction on the Epping New Road, one of the two main roads that run through Buckhurst Hill. The premises offers 4 times the space the Chabad House has been renting for the past 5 years and also has a nice outdoor area and parking.

The new lease was signed in mid August, which left just over 2 weeks for an extensive program of renovation which saw walls removed, new toilets and bathrooms put in, the outdoor areas cleared and the whole building painted. The new Chabad House also has a self-contained guest room with bedroom, bathroom and little kitchen.

Since 2005 Chabad Buckhurst Hill has been serving the community of Buckhurst Hill and wider West Essex area and has been a beacon at the crossroads serving the religious, educational, social and pastoral needs of hundreds of Jews and others in the wider community. As the local Rabbi, Rabbi Odom Brandman goes into many of the local schools to talk about Judaism and his role as a Rabbi and hosts annual educational visits from some year groups of other local schools. The Chabad House has provided hundreds of Jewish families with a vibrant, inclusive community in which they are unequivocally accepted and embraced.

The Chabad House has grown tremendously over the past few years in many ways moving from a house in Russell Road, to the Daiglin School Hall and then onto Princes Road where they have been for the past 5 years. In fact, many say it has become a victim of its own success always looking for bigger premises as it has quickly become known as “the place to be”. Their previous facility on Princes Road could no longer accommodate the growing demand for Hebrew School students, holiday participants and those wishing to join the ever growing roster of activities and services.

In response, Rabbi Brandman has been searching for a more suitable premises. “This is still just our next step” he says enthusiastically, “the long term goal is to find some land and build our own purpose built facility”.

The Brandmans continue to work with and give credit to the vision of Rabbi Aryeh and Devorah Sufrin, Shluchim in Ilford, whose vision it was to set up the Chabad House in Buckhurst Hill as they established the demand and witnessed over many years Jewish People moving into the area.

To get in touch with the Brandman’s you can see their website: www.chabadonthehill.co.uk or email [email protected]