More than 500 people are expected Thursday to celebrate the opening of the new $18 million Chabad Jewish Community Center in the heart of Aspen.
The center that encompasses a square block on Main Street is the first synagogue in the state west of Denver and one of the largest Jewish centers between Colorado and the Pacific Coast.
“It’s a really big deal for Aspen,” said Rabbi Mendel Mintz, co-director of the center with his wife, Leiba.
Mintz said the center will be a source of pride and identity for the estimated 400 Jewish residents of Aspen as well as a resource for the entire Aspen community with its events center and retreat facilities.
He said it is also expected to draw Jewish leaders from around the world. They will now have access to kosher meals and ritual baths in the center along with forums and Jewish holiday ceremonies.
The center will include a pre-school, a Hebrew school, a youth center, a ballroom, offices and classrooms.
“From birth to death, we have something for everyone,” Mintz said.
Mintz and other members of Aspen’s Jewish community spent a decade winning approval for the expansion of the Jewish center in the heart of Aspen’s coveted commercial district
Nancy Lofholm: 970-256-1957, nlofholm@denverpost.com or twitter.com/nlofholm
