“It’s hard to believe that we built our synagogue only six years ago, and already we’re maxed out,” said Rabbi Menachem Rapoport, director of outreach and development at Congregation Agudas Achim Chabad in Mequon.
That said, he officially announced a $4 million fundraising campaign to expand the synagogue’s current site, “which will enable us to offer our services and programs on a proper scale.”
CAAC began more than 20 years ago as Chabad of North Shore in the basement of the Rapoport family home in Fox Point. It was led then, as now, by spiritual leader Rabbi Dovid Rapoport.
“Six years later, in 1988, we bought the current Mequon property and again operated as Chabad of North Shore out of our home,” Dovid explained. “At that time we had only 40 member families. Now we’ve grown to more than 137 member families.”
During that period of growth, in 1995, the congregation merged with the west side’s Congregation Agudas Achim, to become Congregation Agudas Achim Chabad.
Today, said Menachem, “We’re more than just a shul — we’re really a continuum of Jewish services for the community at large. And to better define who we are today and what we do, we will rename the new site the Center for Jewish Life.
“Since we cater to all spiritual needs, each entity on the campus, such as the shul, preschool, Hebrew school, or senior luncheon program, will maintain its own name. Essentially, everything will stay the same, except that each entity will have its own identity. Now, it seems all our services are considered an arm of the shul.”
Plans call for building a two-level addition to the existing building and razing the former residential property where Dovid and his wife, Fagie, used to live and the Mequon Jewish Preschool now operates. The project was approved by the City of Mequon on March 3.
“We view this expansion to be of benefit to the entire Jewish community, especially to those living in the North Shore,” Menachem continued. “We’re adding 31,000 square feet, which will give us 27,000 on the main level and 8,000 on the lower level, including existing footage. The synagogue will be relocated to the south, and the preschool will slot into the former, but expanded, shul space.”
Rapoport’s daughter, Rivkie Spalter, founded the preschool in 1998 with four children. “We now have an enrollment of over 40, and continue to grow each year. Eventually, we had to kick my parents out of their home,” she laughed, “because we needed more space…. The addition will allow us to double our size. We will have seven classrooms, a computer lab, indoor play area and a kitchen.”
The synagogue, too, will be expanded to seat more than 150 men and some 130 women in a balcony setting with stadium seating.
“This arrangement will be great because the women will have a much better view as well as feeling more included in the service,” Menachem noted.
In addition, the social hall and kitchens will no longer be designated as multi-purpose space, but dedicated to their specific use. The plans also include a chapel, library, youth center and increased storage.
‘Miki-spa’
Rebbetzin Fagie Rapoport, who directs the mikvah, said that the new mikvah will be for women only. “With an increase in the number of men requesting to use the mikvah as well as the usage by women from the general community, we felt we needed to have two separate mikvahs. The men will continue to use the existing facility while the women, two thirds of whom are not synagogue members, will enjoy a new one that will really offer a spa-like setting. We’ve nicknamed it ‘miki-spa,’” she mused.
“Personally, the project is very exciting and I’m thrilled we’ve outgrown the facility we have. That means we’re vibrant,” she said.
Menachem agreed, adding, “We really want to be the Center for Jewish Life. We want our building as well as our programs and services to be intergenerational and interactive for all Jews — from the Orthodox to the less observant. The addition/expansion is not about buildings, but about people.”
Fundraising chair Arnie Peltz agreed. He, too, said the project is not about the building, “but about what we do inside through programming.”
Further, Peltz said, “It’s curious that many non-members, some of whom belong to other synagogues, attend our programs and our services. They send their children to our preschool, use our mikvah and sometimes accompany their parents to our senior luncheon program. I guess it’s because of the way the Rapoports reach out into the community.”
Peltz, who grew up attending Congregation Agudas Achim on 59th and Burleigh Sts., added, “This is a big undertaking. We’re halfway home, as we’ve raised $2 million, but we have a long way to go. Initially, I wasn’t sure I wanted to lead this effort…. But as I thought about what we have to offer the community, I just couldn’t let the community lose out. It may be a rough road, but I know we’ll make it. And it will be worthwhile, because the center will be a place to enrich the entire community.”
Peltz views the shul family “as a very strong family that is tied together because of the Rapoport family’s genuine warmth. People can take whatever they want from the experience.”
Joining Peltz in leading the fundraising effort is Les Weil, who works as a full-time volunteer in fundraising, marketing, business operations and networking for small non-profits.
Weil said he was recruited for the project by Dr. Robert Kliegman, president of the preschool, after the two became friends through projects at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, where Kliegman is pediatrician-in-chief.
“I support lots of Jewish causes, but I don’t regularly attend services at my own shul,” Weil explained. “After coaxing from Bob, I agreed to go to CAAC at least once. I was amazed, and feel that what they’re doing for the Jewish community at large is important. They set a good tone for the community.
“It’s odd that I feel I belong [to CAAC] without belonging. This project is important to the future and I’m excited to lend my skills to make it happen.”
Kliegman, who joined CAAC in the mid ’90s, is impressed by the “receptivity of the community to the congregation. At this point, there are so many activities happening that we are no longer just a congregation, and, therefore, I’m very supportive of re-naming our campus.”
Acknowledging that there is no room for growth on the current site he said, “We need the ability to expand so we can continue to offer more services. From my perspective, it’s interesting that the majority of the children attending our preschool aren’t members of our shul, and that while we are Orthodox, our members come from all spectrums of Jewish life. Our leadership has been so positive to make the campus a warm and welcoming place to all.”
Though a groundbreaking date has not yet been set, project planners hope for a mid-summer start.
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