REACHING FOR
At the largest college in the country, it’s time for a fitting Chabad Student Center
UCF WAS BORN IN 1963, JUST AS NASA WAS GETTING READY TO DO THE IMPOSSIBLE: SEND MAN TO THE MOON. For decades, the college grew as a regional dynamo, sending its best and brightest to innovate at the nearby Kennedy Space Center, while students from beyond Central Florida barely knew its name. That changed in 2001, when college leaders began leveraging a legacy of focused achievement into excellence in every possible sphere. Today, UCF is the largest undergraduate program in the country, with 210 world-class degree programs, champion athletic teams and a projected future that will reach only higher toward the stars.
IMPOSSIBLE IS NOTHING When Chabad arrived in 2006, community leaders told us “Shabbat dinners don’t work here.” On UCF’s sprawling suburban campus— two-and-a-half square miles of towering academic buildings and student housing complexes—the idea of “community” seemed impossible. Well, we knew we had to try. Our first Shabbat, 13 students joined. Within three months, we were hosting about 60 students weekly. By 2012, more than 120 students were celebrating Shabbat at Chabad each week. Within one year of arriving, Chabad outgrew its rented space and purchased the current location at 600 Oak Circle.
“LOVE G-D, LOVE THE TORAH, LOVE EVERY JEW UNCONDITIONALLY, FOR THE THREE LOVES ARE ONE.” —The Lubavitcher Rebbe in declaring a global mission statement for the Chabad movement
JEWISH ENGAGEMENT IS NOW A VIABLE, VISIBLE AND VIBRANT PART OF UCF STUDENT LIFE: AT CHABAD HOUSE
ON CAMPUS
• Shabbat dinners
• Greek life engagement
• Shabbat services • One-on-One Torah study
• Freshman outreach
• Group Torah classes
• Lunch ‘n Learns
• Mentorship and guidance
• Matzo Ball Delivery
• Annual Purim Bash
• Holiday awareness tabling
• Kosher cooking socials
• Advisor to Fraternities
• Student leadership
• Grand Chanukah Menorah Lighting
• Late-night discussions
“WITHOUT A DOUBT, RABBI AND RIVKIE LIPSKIER ARE KEY SOURCES OF THE POSSIBILITY, POSITIVITY AND RESPONSIBILITY THAT MAKE A UCF EDUCATION SO ATTRACTIVE.” —Dr. John C. Hitt President, UCF
• Mega Shabbat
• Sukkah on Campus
• Hebrew Reading Crash Course
• Speakers and lecturers
• Sinai Scholars
• Jewish voice on campus
• High Holiday services
• Israel programming
• Weekly BBQ • Kosher BLT - Bagels, Lox, Tefillin
BEYOND CAMPUS
• Kosher Cooking Club
• Birthright trips
• Rosh Hashana Meals • High Holiday services
• Immersion Programs: NYC Shabbaton, Israelinks
• Passover Seders
• Alumni reunions • Wedding officiation • Mitzvah Campaigns
THE SKY’S THE LIMIT:
HIGHLIGHTS OF GROWTH OCTOBER
2006
Lipskiers arrive at UCF and “open shop” in a rented location at 3672 Foxcroft Circle, in Oviedo FL
MARCH
2007
March 2007 – Chabad is chartered as an official UCF student group
SEPTEMBER
2007
We outgrow 3672, and purchased 600 Oak Circle
OCTOBER
2010
The UCF Jewish community dedicated its first Torah
NOVEMBER
2012
Our first Mega Shabbat draws 500 students, followed by 613 a year later, then 770, then 1,000!
DECEMBER
2015
We purchase land for a future Chabad Jewish Student Center
JANUARY
2017
Rabbi Lipskier is appointed Judaic Studies adjunct professor
JANUARY
2018
We launch the campaign to reach for the space our students deserve
AS WE MARK TWELVE YEARS AT UCF, WE ACKNOWLEDGE THE SIGNIFICANT LIMITATIONS OF OUR CURRENT CHABAD HOUSE:
More than 4.6 miles from campus, it’s difficult for a student looking for connection to reach us.
As our private home, weekly Shabbat dinners typically spill into four separate rooms; many students simply leave.
For students interested in Shabbat-observance, the distance is prohibitive. Up to 20 students sleep in our home each week.
Located on a quiet residential block, Chabad House is unmarked, and events are often challenged by neighbors.
REACHING FOR
I T ’ S T I ME TO T HI NK B I GG E R. IT’S TIME TO REACH FURTHER. I T ’ S T I M E TO D O T HE POS S I B LE . Let’s build a fitting Chabad Student Center to meet the current need, and make it possible to serve UCF’s galactic growth into the future.
THE NEW CHABAD STUDENT CENTER AT UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA
INSIDE THE NEW CHABAD STUDENT CENTER CURRENT CHALLENGES
CURRENT BUILDING
NEW CENTER
DE D I C AT E D S T U D E N T S PAC E
3 , 200 SQ F EET
15,000 SQ FEET
AT T E N DAN C E C APAC I T Y FO R EVEN TS
120 SEATED, 15 0 STA NDING
3 00 SEAT ED, 3 50+ STANDING
DE D I C AT E D SAN C T UARY W I T H ARK
NO
YES
EN GAGI N G J E W I S H LI BRARY
NO
YES
NO
YES
NO
YES
NO
YES
AT T RAC T I V E S PAC E T H AT S T U D EN TS W IL L USE FOR MEETIN GS, S C H O O L WO RK , AN D S O C I AL IZIN G COM M E RC I AL K I TC H E N A B I LI T Y TO H OS T M U LT I P LE PROGRAMS AN D USES S IM U LTAN EO U S LY
600' - 0"
6' - 0"
STORMWATER
FUTURE EXPANSION
UP SERVICE
7' - 6"
30' X 30' EASEMENT
41 SF
DORM
DORM
DORM
DORM
124 SF
124 SF
234 SF
16' - 4"
BATH
41 SF
217 SF
STOR. LIBRARY/CLASSROOM
GAMEROOM/LOUNGE
768 SF
333 SF
ENTRY FOYER
54 SF
8' - 8"
22' - 6"
SUMMER KITCHEN BATH
10' - 0"
685 SF
CIRCULATION
17' - 8"
KITCHEN 291 SF
251 SF
1053 SF
551 SF
OFFICE
OFFICE
206 SF
103 SF
34' - 4"
CIRC.
MULTI PURPOSE A
1965 SF
CIRCULATION
532 SF
DINING ROOM
MULTI PURPOSE B
209 SF
WOMEN'S
MEN'S
237 SF
237 SF
ARC DAIRY KITCHEN
OFFICE 103 SF
115 SF
JAN.
GARAGE
MECH.
462 SF
41 SF
FUTURE ACCESS
MIKVAH
STOR.
143 SF
BUILT IN
54 SF
MAIN KITCHEN
R.R. 53 SF
8' - 8"
8' - 0"
18 SF
UP
LIVING ROOM
CLOSET 38 SF
304 SF
STOR.
WASH
40 SF
53 SF
MIKVAH POOL
WASH
STOR.
53 SF
53 SF
123 SF
22' - 0"
STOR.
WALK IN FREEZER
WALK IN COOLER
STORAGE
PASSOVER KITCHEN
68 SF
147 SF
11' - 4"
16' - 2"
607 SF
4' - 10"
4' - 10"
4' - 10"
26 SF
JOIN CHABAD AT UCF’S
SPACE PROGRAM AND PROVE WHAT’S POSSIBLE
Getting this project off the ground depends on the commitment of just a few visionary investors. With your support, we are confident the new Chabad Student Center will fill the needs of UCF students and become the pride of the global campus community within two years.
EXPLORATION DECEMBER 2015
COMPLETED
Find a location, do due diligence, purchase land.
LAUNCH JANUARY 2018
IN PROGRESS
Secure visionary donors to prove what’s possible.
LANDING AUGUST 2019
Break ground, build, reach the stars!
PROJECTED
LET’S REACH OUR SPACE IN TIME FOR ACADEMIC YEAR 2019-20! LAND PURCHASE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$850,000 CONSTRUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $3,250,000 FURNISHINGS AND EQUIPMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $500,000 CAPITAL CAMPAIGN AND INITIAL OPERATING EXPENSES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $500,000 TOTAL PROJECTED BUDGET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5,100,000
PLEDGED TO DATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$1,750,000
FUNDRAISING GOAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$3,350,000
We can’t thank you enough for the important role Chabad at UCF plays in our son’s life. College is a time for self-discovery, growth and engagement, and Chabad has provided a safe and nurturing environment to help with that journey. Eric has connected and strengthened the bonds with his Jewish heritage. He has found friends, mentors and activism, as well as fun! Chabad is truly a home away from home and we are thrilled that Eric has found a place there with you and your family. We are committed to supporting Chabad at UCF so that Eric and other Jewish students continue to have the opportunity to experience the meaningful Shabbat dinners and other activities Chabad provides. Yasher koach! —Corey and Leslie Winograd Parents of Eric ‘20