St. Pete Chabad Opens New Downtown Campus
The Jewish community center raised $8 million for a 14,000-square-foot facility that replaces temporary spaces used for over two decades.
By Grace Almasi ·
The Chabad Jewish Center of Greater St. Petersburg has raised $8 million toward a $10.9 million goal to fund its new downtown headquarters. The two-story facility at 533 4th Street North officially opened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Sunday, October 25. Rabbi Alter Korf and his wife, Chaya Korf, joined hundreds of community members for the event. Programming had already begun in the building in April.
The 14,000-square-foot structure consolidates worship, education, and social activities that previously occupied various temporary locations. The building features a sanctuary, social hall, classrooms, library, commercial kosher kitchen, and rooftop deck. A glass stairwell connects the first-floor conference room and youth education wing to the upper-level gathering spaces. A movable partition in the social hall allows the room to accommodate different group sizes.
The center replaces a series of smaller sites used since the organization was founded in 2002. The Korfs initially operated from a stilt house along the bay before moving to a 1,000-square-foot storefront on Central Avenue due to hurricane risks. The group later relocated to 4010 Park Street North, where it used multiple trailers totaling more than 2,000 square feet for weekly services and Hebrew school. Larger events, such as High Holiday services and community challah bakes, required renting hotel and event space as participation grew.
Chaya Korf emphasized the communal aspect of the new home during the ceremony. She noted that for more than two decades, Chabad has represented family to many participants. She stated that individuals are welcomed as they are without judgment. Rabbi Korf described the opening as the start of a new era rather than just the completion of a building.
The project followed a multiyear process of construction and fundraising. Chabad purchased the half-acre property in 2019 and broke ground in April 2023. Rabbi Korf cited permitting, post-pandemic supply chain disruptions, and cost increases as factors affecting the timeline. He stated that the organization chose to do the project right rather than fast. Mike Muroff of Purdy + Muroff Architecture and Heshy Hecht of HH Designers designed the building, and Bandes Construction built it.
The center offers Hebrew school, Bar and Bat Mitzvah training, teen activities, adult education, and a summer camp for children ages 5 through 12. The commercial kosher kitchen serves weekly Shabbat dinners, Sunday breakfasts, and holiday events. Chabad operates without a formal paid membership roster and welcomes participants across all levels of Jewish observance. Naming opportunities for portions of the center remain available to donors.
A planned Holocaust memorial has not yet been installed. Rabbi Korf said the memorial will be completed soon and dedicated at a later date. The organization has received contributions from more than 100 families and supporters. The new facility provides a permanent home for the community programs that previously relied on rented venues and mobile units.
