New Chabad center in the works will be the first in south Phoenix
When Grant Galas, a real-estate agent in south Phoenix, was contacted a couple of months ago by Rabbi Mendy Rimler through Facebook, he was ecstatic to hear about Rimler’s plans to create a new Chabad center in the area.
Unknown to Rimler, his plans struck a particular chord with Galas.
“He asked if I was interested in helping him out and I said, ‘yes, as a matter of fact, I have a Jewish family’ ... (and) it just kind of connected,” Galas said.
Galas hosted a Hanukkah (which can also be spelled Chanukah) party at his home in south Phoenix on Sunday where about 50 people were expected to gather to kick off the Chabad Jewish Center of South Phoenix.
Rimler and his wife, Sarah Rimler, will co-direct the center, which will be the first of its kind in south Phoenix.
Rimler said his family plans to move from Tempe to a home in south Phoenix. Then, they hope to find a location for the center, he said. In the meantime, the center will host events in the south Phoenix area, including Shabbat services, community dinners and Jewish educational classes for adults and children, Rimler said.
“There’s no synagogue or any Jewish infrastructure in the area. It would be the first Chabad, the first Jewish anything, so it’s very exciting,” he said.
The center will provide people with “a sense of community, Jewish pride and a place to celebrate who they are,” he said.
Rimler said he was raised in a Chabad community in Melbourne, Australia, and moved with his family to Arizona about six years ago where he was the assistant rabbi at Rohr Chabad at Arizona State University. He was appointed to Chabad Jewish Center of South Phoenix by Rabbi Zalman Levertov, the director of Chabad of Arizona.
The new center in south Phoenix will be self-funded. Therefore, Rimler plans to set up fundraisers and sponsorships, he said.
Galas said he is excited to help the center get on its feet, especially if it means not having to drive to another city to attend a service.
“Every time we want to go to any kind of event or meet Jewish families, we always have to make our way to other parts of town to find services and whatnot,” he said. “By opening one up here, it’s literally in our backyard (and) it’s really going to make a difference.”