![The Agudah of the Five Towns on Peninsula Boulevard [Photo: The Jewish Star]](http://www.vinnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/ced1.jpg "ced1")
Long, Island, NY – Construction on three shuls in Cedarhurst is expected be complete by the end of this year. Listed in ascending order of the length of time each project has taken thus far, they are The Chofetz Chaim Torah Center, Kehillas Bais Yehuda Tzvi, known as the Red Shul, and Agudath Israel of the Five Towns.
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The Chofetz Chaim Torah Center, at 7 Derby Lane, opened its doors in 2001. Construction on the shul, affectionately known to some as the Blue Shul for its exterior, began in June and will be finished in January.
“We were packed on Shabbos like every other shul,” explained Avi Dreifus, the shul’s unofficial president. “There were no more seats and no room for the women; we couldn’t even have a normal kiddush.”
Construction was fairly quick since the existing shul remained largely intact, Dreifus explained. By digging up a parking lot in the back and extending the balcony the structure was enlarged.
The shul worked to ease neighbors’ concerns, Dreifus said, including keeping the shul’s nursery across the street on West Broadway, putting up a proper fence, and installing a new driveway.
While the initial funding is in place, Dreifus noted that there are worries about how the shul will recover the costs.
“It’s pretty much done except for the paint and the flooring. We’ve got the money for the first year, but the real question is 2010 and 2011; will we get it?”
Read the full story at The Jewish Star
we have all you need here….it is the best…come….gevaldick
This is good news but we should be careful about not overexpanding and wasting money on concrete and steel when there are many shuls will lots of room. We don’t need or want a shul on every block because some rabbi wants to have his/her own kehillah. The shuls in this article clearly needed to grow but thats not always the case and there is much waste/inefficiency in how we use yiddeshe institutions and buildings that already are in place.
The secular neighbors in the 5 Towns area constantly say “pen yirbu”. B”H that hashem Yisborach answers them and shows them “kein yirbu”.
Forget about utilizing money to reduce the tuition burden. We need to spend hundreds of thousands on building more shuls in a community with a shul on each block so everyone can have their cholent in comfort.
There is such a lack of priorities among frum jews that it’s scary
kane yirboo
this is wonderful news. i know someone who lives in west lawrence who said he would not want a shul on his block. i hope they expand too and he gets one!
hehehehehe
A large part of the sucess of the Blue Shul is because of their Illustrious President Avi Dreyfus, He is the glue that binds the shul together, he keeps the talking in shul to a minimum and when not found running the shul, is often wrapped in his tallis engrossed in his davening or learning, a huge inspiration for the 5 towns
There is another shul that will opening shortly and is in very proximity to these newly constructed Shuls. Looks like there isn’t enough room already!! Baruch Hashem, Kein Yirbu
When I lived in Cedarhurst over twenty years ago for a period I was welcomed by Rav Dovid Spiegel and his wonderful Kehillah. It was a difficult time for me and they helped me through a lot of difficulties. May the whole town and all Five Towns be blessed with hatzluchah rabbah and siata d’shomayah. Amen !!!.
i agree with #11 , Avi Dreyfuss has really made the shul something special. I cannot understand why there are people that would bring a new shul to this neighborhood???