Florida Shluchim Salute Patron

By COLlive reporter and Chad Smith – Gainesville Sun
and Gainesville.com

Chabad Shluchim in Florida finally had the opportunity this week to honor their low-key and unassuming generous benefactors Moris – Moshe and Lilian Tabacinic.

All 9 Chabad Houses on Florida campuses received seed money to start off and build or purchase a center from Mr. Tabacinic, co-founder of NCH Capital with his brother-in-law and charity comrade George Rohr, with the assistance of Merkos Vice Chair Rabbi Moshe Kotlarsky.

The occasion came on Sunday at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Tabacinic Lubavitch-Chabad Jewish Student and Community Center in Gainesville, led by Rabbi Berl and Chanie Goldman and colleagues Rabbi Aaron Chaim and Pessi Notik.

One of the speakers at the event for the 23,000-square-foot building was Israel Kopel, a University of Florida alum, who told how a few months before graduating he met Rabbi Goldman.

Kopel told the crowd that he was driving when he saw a sign for the fledgling Chabad’s barbecue. As he walked up, he was struck by Goldman’s beard and black hat and clothing. He was used to seeing men dressed traditionally in Miami but not in Gainesville.

Goldman, who just arrived in town, welcomed him and asked if he could get him something to eat. Kopel said he was salivating but still asked, “Is it kosher? and for the first time in Gainesville, I felt like I was at home.”

Kopel ended up donating a new Torah to the Chabad center and married the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Tabacinic and granddaughter of philanthropists Sami Rohr and his late wife Charlotte.

400 guests, among them local dignitaries, the Gainesville mayor, and supporters, heard him passionately share how Chabad has affected his connection and commitment to Judaism, while the university’s president Bernie Machen spoke about the important role faith plays in campus dialogue and in some students’ personal growth during their college experience.

“Many students understandably need the support and comfort of their faiths,” Machen said. “You’re a home away from home, and when this building is complete, what a home you will have.”

It was the Tabacinics’ first visit to the city and they were joined by their 2 sons-in-law Kopel and Daniel Sragowicz and son Mike Tabacinic, in addition to city and university officials and residents.

But for the handful of Shluchim who came to support their colleague it was also an opportunity to share a L’chaim with Moris (Moshe) Tabacinic and thank him for his continued assistance in their activities.

They blessed him and his family, and mentioned Rabbi Moshe Kotlarsky’s involvement as well, for enabling the Rebbe‘s holy work and doing so with uncommon humility.