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The new synagogue will also serve as a base for the organization's education and outreach activities, including family holiday celebrations, youth clubs, adult classes, lectures and a once-a-week Hebrew School for children.
"This will be transformational for the Jewish community," said Steven Harvis, a local community member. "Everyone will now have access to the wide array of programming the new facility can accommodate."
The building was originally built as a church in 1902, and converted into a day-care center decades ago. The property includes an adjacent two-story house, open outdoor space with a playground for children, and a large parking area.
Chabad plans to keep the existing building but will give the interior a facelift to expose the 49-foot high cathedral ceiling and all of the original intricate woodwork and stained glass windows dating back to its 1902 construction.
To date, with the help and support of dedicated community members, the woodwork and entire ceiling have been power washed, and sanding and finishing the woodwork is underway. The open house event will allow community members and neighbors to see an example of what the new Chabad of Briarcliff and Ossining will become, while enjoying kosher wine, sushi and desserts.
"This is a very exciting time for our community," said Rabbi Dovid Labkowski, who together with his wife, Miriam, heads Chabad Lubavitch of Briarcliff Manor-Ossining.
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