Darchei School Thanks Popack

By COLlive reporter
Photos: Chana Blumes

Darchei Menachem boys school has recently moved to a new 8,400 square-foot building on Rutland Avenue in Crown Heights.

The school, which opened 10 years ago with just a handful of students in a couple of Crown Heights apartments, has been growing by leaps in bounds in recent years, and had outgrown their location on Eastern Parkway.

With the help of several generous donors, the new building was purchased in July, however it seemed it was to be months before the students could actually begin learning there, as a number of expensive renovations were necessary.

Coming to the rescue was businessman and donor Yossi Popack.

“Every stage of the building project had its ups and downs – the downs being roadblocks that came up along the way,” the school’s Director of Development Chaim Perl told COLlive.

“Yossi Popack came forward during our latest roadblock, and it was only through his help that we could move into the next stage.”

Popack generously sponsored the renovation of newly constructed classrooms, lunchroom, study hall, games room, library and offices. With his help, the building was ready for the students to move in around Chanukah time, 6 months earlier than the school’s adminstrators originally estimated.

Last week, Popack visited the school, along with his employee Zalman Lezell who oversaw the renovation project, to inspect the finished work and meet the students.

At an assembly which was attended by the entire school, Popack addressed the boys, praising the principal Rabbi Eyal Bension and his devotion to the students.

Student Ruvi Lipskar, speaking on behalf of his fellow students, thanked Popack, expressing his appreciation and love for the new building in comparison to the previous one.

Popack then toured the building, remounting a Mezuzah on the games room door, which had been removed during the renovation.

Rabbi Bension thanked Popack, expressing the importance of his generosity, and the need for his continuous support.

“The move was critical for the school, not just for the facility upgrade, but helping us to focus and invest in long term plans,” says Perl.

“Until the building project, everything was done on a small ‘temporary’ scale. We are already in talks about future expansion of our junior and Mesivta divisions as well,” he says.