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The Chabad House at Binghamton University operated out of a two-bedroom apartment at 435 Plaza Drive in Vestal at its start in 1985.

More than 20 years later, the center has a new building to call home.

The number of students participating in the Jewish Student Center over the years grew rapidly and the group moved from location to location to accommodate the increasing membership. It became clear that a new house would soon be necessary.

“The adage really is true: If you build it, they will come,” Rivkah Slonim, education director for the Chabad Center, said.

According to Slonim, the building was designed with a multitude of new amenities, including dining and social halls, an atrium lounge, a television room, a game room, a newly renovated sanctuary, a fitness room, a Chabad Cafe, a library and multiple classrooms and conference rooms.

Slonim said the center also has multiple bedrooms available for alumni to use when they come to visit.

The project, which cost approximately $3.5 million, has been in the works for some time.

In 2006, after years of waiting for the adjoining lot to become available, Chabad of Binghamton bought a house right next door to its facilities. On May 11, 2007, the crew broke ground. In less than a year, the new 18,000-square-foot structure was built and reopened for students to enjoy.

This project, and the Chabad Center as a whole, is not funded by a central body. Instead, it is funded by donations from alumni and supported by the local Jewish community.

Barry Newman, for whom the building is named, became involved with the organization in 1991.

“We decided to dedicate the main center in honor of him and his late wife because he became a good friend of Chabad and donated very generously to the project,” Rabbi Aaron Slonim, executive director of the Chabad Center, said.

This past Sunday, Sept. 14, the new house at 420 Murray Hill Road was officially opened during a dedication ceremony. At this formal ribbon cutting, more than 600 people, including President Lois B. DeFleur, administrators, faculty, alumni spanning over 25 years, community members and friends attended.

Such a large crowd is typical for the Chabad Center. With the house so close to campus, virtually five minutes from Newing College, classes, programs and their famous Shabbat dinners are open to all students. All programs focus on their main adage: “education and inspiration.”

Previous programs have been geared for students and the local community, from adult education classes to holiday based programs to a women’s league.

Chabad has seen a wide spectrum of students, from those involved in greek life to Binghamton’s governing bodies.

“Everybody is a part of our community,” Rivkah Slonim said. “We want everyone to feel that they are coming home to Chabad.”