Chabad of Forsyth and Congregation Beth Israel welcomed community members and guests to a groundbreaking of its future Jewish Community Center of North Georgia and synagogue campus on Sunday, Dec. 13.
The groundbreaking marks the official beginning of the construction of the new facilities, which will be the first of its kind in Forsyth County and in the North Georgia area.
Rabbi Levi Mentz invited community leaders and county officials to give thanks and ask them to take part in the program, including commissioners who have shown support for the project since its inception.
“This is a wonderful groundbreaking for us,” District 1 Commissioner Molly Cooper said. “This is our Jewish community here in Forsyth County. This is our Jewish community here in North Georgia. This is so near and dear to our hearts, I get tears in my eyes. This is wonderful.”
Cooper and her husband, Dr. Scott Cooper, started by welcoming everyone to the event before later introducing Rabbi Yossi New, the director of Chabad of Georgia.
Mentz and his wife, Chaish Mentz, thanked many of the leaders and community members who not only showed up to the event to support the historic groundbreaking, but also donated and showed further support to the project to make it happen.
So far, Congregation Beth Israel and Chabad of Forsyth have raised more than $2.6 million for the new building out of a goal of more than $4.7 million. The donated funds will help to create the preschool, Hebrew school, playground, sanctuary, social hall, chapel and other amenities planned for the campus.
They thanked Jacques and Evelyne Preis for their donation of $1.75 million to go to the project, one they both feel will have a positive impact on the Forsyth County community.
Continuing on with the night, community member Liza Klahr and her children brought forth soil from Israel to sprinkle it into the earth where they first broke ground later in the night, ensuring that the foundation of the campus will contain soil from the Holy Land for the generations to come.
Mazal Tov!!
Never down time, extremely hard working, class act. True examples of shluchim of the Rebbe never stopping till every jew is serviced and brought home. I saw this as a bachur in yeshiva and now Levi is using all of his kochos to bring the Rebbe Nachas! keep it up man!
Your buddy from Bruneau and fellow Shliach