The Story of Town of Oyster Bay Chabad
Town of Oyster Bay Chabad opened it's doors in Syosset in the winter of 1992.
Town of Oyster Bay Chabad got it's name because we are the headquarters of all the Chabads in the Town of Oyster Bay. We have since opened two new centers in the past 10 years, one in Brookville and one in East Norwich, with plans for more in the upcoming years.
The Woodbury location was chosen for it's great percentage of Jewish young families who would help them become established as the center of Jewish Education and services, built on warmth, acceptance and non judgmental attitudes.
The mansion that was transformed into the present day Community Center went through many renovations during the first few months, in order to use it for it's intended purposes, many updates were needed, including additional electricity and air conditioning.
The very first Rosh Hashana at the Woodbury Location in 1999, Town of Oyster Bay Chabad held the High Holiday Services indoors, as they were able to accommodate the 125 or so people who attended the services that year. That was also the last time they did so, in the years since that first service, they have increased to over 750 people, and keeps on growing. Now the services are held in a wedding tent on the beautiful grounds of Chabad. The children services take place indoors.
In the beginning, the people that attended Town of Oyster Bay Chabad's many holiday and educational programs came from all walks of life and affiliations, and from all the neighborhoods surrounding Woodbury. Mostly they were not observant, but wanting to grow in their Judiasm. Many in the Woodbury neighborhood took a wait and watch approach, intending to join once they were sure that Chabad was here to stay. Today they recognize that Chabad has made a tremendous impact on the community, and so a great number of families in the Woodbury neighborhood are proud to be called members of Town of Oyster Bay Chabad .
Over the years, the programs that Town of Oyster Bay Chabad offered evolved to accommodate the changing tides of our community. While the early attendees were attracted to Jewish cultural and social events , today the main attraction is Jewish education. A great number of people attend the varied selection of assorted educational classes on a daily basis. People are thirsty for knowledge about Jewish life and their heritage. While the early holiday events may have been theme based, such as "Purim in The Shtetl", today's crowd is more interested in the holiday than in the theme.
What attracts many to Town of Oyster Bay Chabad is the people, the warmth, and most of all, the total, non-judgemental acceptance, which is unsurpassed.
Today, Town of Oyster Bay Chabad is a beehive of activity, and continues to grow and expand. We now have Friday Night, Shabbat, High Holidays and Sunday services. A full array of classes are offered almost every day of the week. Community outreach, Holiday programs, youth services, counseling, Bar and Bat Mitzvahs, Religious ceremonies, Judaic services, public lectures, Shabbat dinners, and everything Jewish is being offered on a continuous basis, while new and innovative ideas are in the works.
In addition to all the classes, services and programs, Town of Oyster Bay Chabad also has a great Hebrew School, using the latest innovative educational techniques, where the kids are grouped according to their reading levels, and go up in color much like the Karate system. This results in the kids being self motivate to grow in their Hebrew reading skills. What began as two classes in the main sanctuary has expanded to classes all over the building, with not enough room to accommodate further growth.
Currently Town of Oyster Bay Chabad is working towards an expansion project, and is in the process of getting ideas together as to how to best go about this
If you are looking to connect, stop by and you won’t be disappointed.