Alaska Opens Building Wing

By COLlive reoprter

The Jewish community in Alaska has marked the opening of a new wing of the Esformes Campus with major community events such as a Torah dedication, Gala Auction, a Travelling Museum exhibit, and other educational activities.

The opening of the new wing for the Early Learning Center of the Esformes Jewish Campus of Alaska was enabled thanks to a special grant from Chicago philanthropist Rabbi Morris Esformes.

Matching grants were received from Alaska’s Rasmuson Foundation, Alaskan pioneers Perry and Jerry Green, and New York philanthropists David and Lara Slager through the Machne Israel Development Fund’s Chabad Early Childhood Initiative.

The Esformes Jewish campus, which includes the Lubavitch Center, synagogue, school, and Jewish Museum, was established thanks to significant support from Rabbi Esformes, who is known for his generosity and support of Torah educational institution around the world.

In recent years, Rabbi Esformes has taken a special interest in the work of Chabad in small communities and was the driving force behind the newly constructed, spacious facility for the thriving community of Chabad-Lubavitch in Daytona Beach, Florida under the leadership of Rabbi Pinchas and Chani Ezagui.

An official dedication for the Esformes Campus in Alaska is being planned for Summer 2013 with the attendance of Alaskan and national leaders to honor Rabbi Esformes in recognition of his philanthropy and dedication in bringing yiddishkeit to the remotest corner of the world.