Timeline of Chabad of the Northwest
Servicing WA, AK, ID, OR, BC & AB
A 33 year journey
October 15th, 1972
Chabad regional office established for the Northwest
Rabbi Sholom Ber and Chanie Levitin
April 1973
Open first Chabad House
Chabad Student Center @ the UW
Rabbi Yosef and Chashie Samuels
Summer 1974
Open Jewish Day Camp - Camp Gan Israel
September 1974
Seattle Cheder established
November 1974
New Center – Chabad of Vancouver, BC
Rabbi Yitzchok and Henia Weinberg
April 1975
Expand educational activities
Chabad Educational Director
Rabbi Yechezkel and Devorah Kornfeld
September 1975
Established special program for
Jewish inmates in state prison system
November 1975
Purchase new Chabad House – 4541 19th Ave. NE Seattle
With the support of Mr. Joseph Russak
Winter 1976
Spearheaded special outreach programs for
Jewish immigrants from the former Soviet Union
Summer 1976 – (12 year program)
Open Yeshivah Gedolah - Rabbinical Seminary
(Today over 100 former students serve as
rabbis educators around the Globe.
Rabbi Leibel and Rochel Kaplan
June 1977
Rabbi Avrohom and Shprintze Kavka
Join the Chabad staff as Program Coordinators
Winter 1978
Founded N’shei Chabad - women’s programs, WA
Rebbetzin Chanie Levitin, President
December 1979
First Weekly Jewish Radio Program “Shema Yisroel”
Host Rabbi Sholom Ber Levitin
Winter 1980
Jewish cable show on public access
Host Rabbi Yechezkel Kornfeld
Summer 1980
New Center – Chabad of Kitsilano, BC
Rabbi Lipa and Dina Dubrawsky
Fall 1982
Chabad establishes first kosher eatery
Kosher Delight, downtown Seattle
Winter 1983
New Center – Chabad of Calgary, AB
Rabbi Menachem and Rochel Matusof
Summer 1985
Founded, Congregation Shaarei Tefilah Lubavitch, In Seattle
In the home of Mr. and Mrs. Shmuel Leib and Nechama Strauss
Rabbi Sholom Ber Levitin, spiritual leader
Fall 1985
New Center – Chabad of Portland, OR
Rabbi Moshe and Devorah Wilhelm
September 1985
New Jewish Day-care program
Rebbetzin Shprintze Kavka
Summer 1987
Purchase of Additional Chabad Student Housing –
4533 19th Ave. NE Seattle
With the support of – Mr. and Mrs. Max Gurvitch, Mr. and Mrs. Morris Pollack, Mr. and Mrs. Herb Pruzan, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Russak, Mr. Martin Selig, Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Stroum
Winter 1988
New Center – Chabad of Edmonton, AB
Rabbi Ari and Rivkah Drelich
September 1989
New Center – Chabad of Surrey, BC
Rabbi Falik and Simie Schtroks
August 1991
Co-Founded – Vaad HaRabanim of Greater Seattle
Rabbi Sholom Ber Levitin, Mr. Al Maimon
December 1991
Established the Torah Network Program, WA
Summer 1991
New Center – Chabad of Anchorage Alaska
Rabbi Yosef and Esther Greenberg
September 1991
Congregation Shaarei Tefilla Lubavitch
moves to new location – Crestview apt.
With the support of Mr. and Mrs. Mark Goldberg
Fall 1992
New Center – Chabad of Richmond, BC
Rabbi Yechiel and Chana Baitelman
Winter 1994
New Chabad Center – Eastside Torah Center, Bellevue, WA
New program – Chabad @ Microsoft
Rabbi Mordechai and Rochie Farkash
September 1996
Chabad partners with congregation Shevet Achim, Mercer Island
New Rabbinical position, Rabbi Yechezkel and Devorah Kornfeld
Chabad of Mercer Island
Summer 1998
Opened - Chaya Muskah Jewish Public Library, WA
Rabbi Alter and Debbie Levitin
March 1999
Chabad Seattle Cheder becomes
The Menachem Mendel Seattle Cheder, MMSC – Day School
Tziviah Goldberg, Principal
Fall 2001
New Program, Community Talmud Torah – Eastside, WA
Rochie Farkash, Director
Fall 2002
New Program - “Women’s Learning Circle”, WA
Esther Bogomilsky, Director
Summer 2002
New Center – Chabad of Eugene, OR
Rabbi Asi and Aviva Spiegel
August 2003
New Building – Congregation Shaarei Tefilah Lubavitch
Dr. Yossi Greenberg, President
September 2003
New Jewish Holiday Publication – Chai Gazette
October 2003
Established Jewish Talk Radio show – Shmooze Radio 1300 KOL AM
Hosts Rabbi Elazar Bogomilsky, Moti Krauthammer
October 2003
New Center – The Friendship Circle, WA
Rabbi Elazar and Esther Bogomilsky
Winter 2003
New Center – Chabad of Peirce County, WA
Rabbi Zalman and Miriam Heber
Summer 2003
New Center – Chabad of Vancouver Island, Canada
Rabbi Meir and Chanie Kaplan
April 2004
New Mikvah of the Eastside – Mikvah Mei Menachem
Summer 2003
New Center – Chabad Clark County WA
Rabbi Shmulik and Tzivi Greenberg
Summer 2003
Expansion of the – Menachem Mendle Seattle Cheder - Day School
Rabbi Yossi and Toba Leah Charytan, Principal
Rabbi Yehoshua and Yehudis Fuchs, Judaic Study Specialist
Tziviah Goldberg, Director of Development
Summer 2004
New Center – Chabad of Issaquah, WA
Rabbi Berry and Nechama Farkash
Summer 2004
New Center – Chabad of Ashland, OR
Rabbi Avi and Faigy Zwiebel
September 2004
New Director – Chabad of UW
Rabbi Eli and Chaya Estrin
September 2004
New Director – Chabad @ Microsoft
Rabbi Mordi and Suri Hecht
September 2004
New Center – Chabad Lubavitch of Idaho
Rabbi Mendle and Esther Lifshitz
April 2005
New Mikvah in Seattle – Mikvah Yisroel - Mei Menachem
Rebbetzin Chanie Levitin, President
September 2005
NW Friends of Chabad, WA
Rabbi Elazar and Esther Bogomilsky
October 2005
New Center – Chabad of Whatcom County, WA
Rabbi Levi and Hadassah Backman
MMSCDay School- Beneficiary of the following organizations
· Samis Foundation
· Jewish Federations of Greater Seattle
