Background of C.O.R.P.
(Chabad of Rego Park)
1997-CORP was founded in 1997 by Rabbi Eli and Shulamis Blokh on the inspira-tion of the Luba-vitcher Rebbe. The goal was to establish a permanent center serving the entire Jewish community.
First public menorah lighting took place in the courtyard of the Mesivtah Ohr Torah (currently Beth Gavriel congregation-event covered by local newspaper).
The first activity was to establish a Hebrew School in the lefrak City Jewish Center. The initial group consisted of children and soon grows to 30+ children every Sunday. The classes were given by Rabbi Blokh and his wife Shulamis.
1999-CORP takes over the Queens Jewish Center Talmud Torah with the support and encouragement of many of its members as well as the administration and Rabbi Grunblatt.
Begins conducting High Holiday services for the Russian community on third floor of QJC, Rabbi Blokh and family move from Crown Heights to Forest Hills.
Parlor meeting help to benefit Talmud Torah is held in the home of Cantor Aryeh and Shirley Rendel. Kosher week is conducted on local supermarkets.
First Community Seder is held in Queens Jewish Center.
Lag Baomer celebration in Forest Hills, in conjunction with Chabad of Flushing, draws close to a thousand people.
2000-With the assistance of Mr. Yefim and Bronia Kantorovich, a two family house is bought on 99 st. to serve as the home for Chabad of Rego Park and the Blokh family.
Chanukah Extravaganza is held at the QJC, co-sponsored by Or Avner, it attracts hundreds of local people. Article appears in the New York Newsday.
With the assistance of the Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty, conducts Passover Seder for Russian Jews living in Jackson Heights, Queens. Yearly attendance averages 50 people, current as of 2010.
2004-Begin publishing The Bi-monthly magazine, ‘The Fifth dimension’-in Russian. Currently bi-lingual, with a total print of 4,000 magazines, 1,200 mailed directly.
Public menorah lighting moves to Federoff Triangle on Queens Boulevard. Menorah lighting ceremony yearly attended by Councilwoman Melinda Katz or Congressman Anthony Weiner.
Rabbi Blokh along with Rabbi Eli Kogan host a weekly radio program on the Russian Radio station, Radio VSE, called the Fifth Dimension, over 100, 000 tune in.
Grand Lag Baomer Celebration is held in Flushing Meadows-Cororna Park. The event features rides and a performance by uncle Moshe, over 1,500 attend.
2005-dedication of Unity Torah written with the involvement of different and diverse groups of the Jewish community.
2006-Radio program stops, RADIO VSE, goes out of business.
Rabbi Yossi and Moshky Mendelson move to Forest Hills to run the Chabad Hebrew School.
Rabbi Mendelson serves as Cantor for the High Holidays.
2006/7-Rabbi Yossi and Mushky mendelson organize bi-monthly shabbaton Friday night dinners, at its peak over 70 adults and children attend.
2008-Chabad of Rego Park is awarded a grant from the UJA-Federation during Jewish Action Service month
2009-Printing of Tanya at the CORP in memory of Gabby and Rivky Holtzberg
2010-Chabad Hebrew School, Current enrollment 40 students.
Purim Banquet big success, with over 170 adults and children, most of them young professionals from the Jewish Russian Community.
In accordance with the directive of the Lubavticher Rebbe, that every Rabbi needs to provide Shmurah Matzah, at least for the Seders, to his community, 320 pounds of Shmurah matzah sold or given to members of the community. Among them most of the patients and staff of the Forest Hills Hospital. Three public Seders are organized with total attendance approx. 150 people, including, for the first time, at the Central Queens Y.
2013-
Passover Seders are organzied in five locations throughout Queens: Rego Park, Middle Village, Far Rockaway, Jackson Heights and Flushing. Over 400 members of the community receive Shmurah Matzah. Partial funding comes from UJA Federation of NY, JASA, Kings Bay Y and Central Queens Properties.
2012-2013-Rabbi Shlomo and Leora Nadtochyy join the staff of Chabad of Rego Park with the purpose of expanding programming to the Jewish Russian Community. Specifically, outreach to young professionals, expanding adult education programs and establishing a branch of the Jewish Russian Community Center in Kew Gardens. In April of 2013 they sign on an apartment in Kew Gardens.
