Chabad of Sussex County to Move

By JESSICA SEDA

Herald Staff Writer

SPARTA — On Sunday, after more than three years, the only Jewish congregation in Sussex County's second-most-populous town will finally have a home.

Members of the Chabad of Sussex County spent Sunday moving furniture and books from its prior place of worship at its rabbi's home to its new location at the Sparta Plaza on Woodport Road.

Coming to Sparta 31/2 years ago, Rabbi Shmuel Lewis and others formed the congregation that met in his garage for most services.

"This will be the first synagogue in Sparta," Lewis said. "When we started, we had seven families and it has really grown."

The 1,000-square-foot room on the plaza's second floor is equipped with folding walls. They will be used to create separate rooms for Sunday Hebrew school and other programs. The room includes space for the congregation as well as an open room in the back, complete with a small kitchen area.

While the rabbi's garage held most services, classes and other programs had been held at multiple locations throughout the township. The new synagogue will eliminate the need to separate events, member Manny Volk said.

"It will pull everything together rather than scattered," Volk said. "It's a nice change ... a great change."

Volk said he is very excited for the new building and hopes it increases the group's membership. For his 11-year-old son, Michael, the new synagogue means a proper place to hold his bar mitzvah in two years.

"Sparta has a nice Jewish community and it's been supported well," Volk said.

Volk, one of seven members of the congregation who helped with Sunday's move, was among two of them from the original congregation that met in Lewis' garage. The other was Marvin Strauzer.

Lewis said he wanted to thank Strauzer, Volk, Volk's son and his wife, Connie, as well as congregation members Lee Cohen, Jay Zigler and Gary Burkson for their help in making the move possible.

The congregation will hold its grand opening on Sunday from 3 to 5 p.m.

People will dance and sing as the Torah enters the the room. Mezuzot, which are small scrolls of Scripture, will be hung in the doorway.

"It's very exciting," Lewis said of the move. "And we'll be ready for Passover."