When Rabbi Moishe Meir and Penina Lipszyc moved to Fort Lauderdale in 1990 to establish a Chabad center, they were told that the upper-crust coastal city was notoriously inhospitable to Jews and the couple would be better served directing their efforts to other parts of Florida.
When the young Rabbi asked local Jews which part of the city was the most antisemitic. The consensus was the Galt Mile—a strip of luxury homes, condominiums and clubs that line roughly a mile of Fort Lauderdale’s beachfront, and that’s exactly where the Lipszycs chose to establish their new Chabad-Lubavitch of Fort Lauderdale.
Chabad moved from their rented storefront as their activities continuously grew. They soon began purchasing the properties that now form the 24,000-square-foot, $9-million campus.
In recognition of Chabad’s decades of service in the area, on Wednesday, March 6, the City of Fort Lauderdale officially renamed NE 35th St., where Chabad of Fort Lauderdale has been for the last 34 years, to “Chabad Drive.”
“In a time when antisemitic sentiments are on the rise nationwide, this new street sign stands as a powerful symbol of hope, welcoming all to our community” said Mayor Trantalis.
