Jerusalem – Construction of New Visitor Center to Begin at ‘Kotal’

Jerusalem – Guma Aguiar takes his blessings seriously.

The biggest of them all, insists the 33 year-old energy magnate, was learning about the Lubavitcher Rebbe.

“The Rebbe is the most inspiring and unifying force that we’ve had in a very long time,” and his inspiration is the impetus for a visitor center now under construction at Jerusalem’s Western Wall.

Perched on a bluff facing the Wall with a view of the Temple Mount, the center will provide guests a quiet space to reflect on their visit to Israel’s holiest site. Inside, permanent and changing exhibits on high-definition monitors will explore the Rebbe’s ideas about Jerusalem, Israel and related themes, helping visitors anchor the spiritual experience at the wall.

“We are working together with J.E.M. to produce outstanding footage and content that will offer visitors substantive food for thought,” Guma said in an interview with Lubavitch.com. “People walk away from the Kotel and are not sure how to translate the spiritual high they feel into something concrete. This “home” dedicated to the Rebbe’s legacy, will allow them to direct all that energy in a sustaining way.”

Aguiar will unveil his plans at an event marking the 109th birthday of the Rebbe, of blessed memory, at The Shul of Bal Harbor, Thursday evening, April 14, at 8:00.

Born Jewish, Guma, who was raised as an Evangelical Christian, has traveled a long distance since that Friday night several years ago when he walked into Chabad of Ft. Lauderdale, and met Rabbi Moishe Meir Lipszyc. Knowing very little about his own Jewish roots, Guma, who had yet to build Leor, his multi-billion dollar energy company, was greeted by the Chabad rabbi with spontaneous warmth that took him by surprise.

With his inimitable generosity and acceptance, Lipszyc helped the young man uncover his Jewish roots and discover yiddishkeit. Today, the trim and toned father of three dedicates time to building his spiritual profile, studying with Chabad rabbis and realizing the day-to-day applications of Chabad teachings in his own life.

After selling his company in 2007, Guma began searching for another project that would capture his imagination and stir up his passion. “And the more that I spent time—hours and hours watching the Rebbe, learning about his vision, his love and compassion for humanity, the more grateful I felt for having discovered him. I cannot overstate the way the Rebbe—through his Torah—helps me connect to G-d,” he says earnestly.

The Rebbe’s focus on translating spiritual inspiration into bricks-and-mortar, down-to-earth achievements, resonates well with the Brazilian-born businessman. So when Rabbi Sholom Lispkar of Bal Harbor, Florida, suggested that he do something “for the Rebbe” with a number of properties that he’d bought at the Western Wall, Guma’s imagination was fired.

“Over the years, I had different ideas and different architectural plans drawn up for these properties, but there was never any real direction.” This idea had tremendous appeal for Guma.

“It would allow me to finally gift to others what I have been so fortunate myself to have—a life enriched by the inspiration and impact of the Rebbe. I’m thrilled to do this now, in honor of 11 Nissan, the Rebbe’s birth date.”

The beauty of the idea for 770 Western Parkway—the name Guma has given the project—“is that it’s a partnership between a lay-leader like myself, and Chabad-Lubavitch, with a universal message of relevance to people from all walks of life.”

With multi-media exhibits focusing on the Rebbe’s teachings, his interaction with Israel’s leadership over the course of the state’s history, and his contribution to Israel, the center, says Rabbi Mendel Sharfstein at Lubavitch Headquarters in New York, “is going to be truly state-of-the art in every respect.” Sharfstein, whom Guma has asked to spearhead the coordination efforts of the project, says that while people visit the Wall and study its archeological and historic background, the new center will “help them gain a deeper understanding of it all, so that they take home a message of lasting significance.”

Ample outdoor space for events and breathtaking views will put the center on the itinerary of any visitor to the Western Wall, says Rabbi Lipszyc. He expects it will quickly become “one of the most visited Chabad addresses in the world.” Everyone will be welcome here, “and the family of Chabad Shluchim and their community members will now have this destination when they visit Jerusalem.”

With the design phase now well underway, Guma says construction on the project is set to begin shortly and will proceed at a steady pace. The strapping businessman has taken the Rebbe’s message and vision to heart, and is determined to see it through to its fulfillment.

“To me, the Rebbe encapsulates love of G-d, love of Israel, love of Jerusalem, the Jewish people and the Torah. I hope the project will capture this and convey some of the impact he made on the world.”