Chabad of Guelph

Chabad of Guelph seeks to fight apathy and assimilation within the Jewish community by providing a warm and enjoyable Jewish experience for every Jew. The Chabad House doors will always be open to all. It is a place where students, faculty, staff, and local community can socialize in a comfortable, homey setting, with friends, food and discussion. Chabad creates a warm and welcoming Jewish Centre, where everyone can explore their Jewish heritage in a nonjudgmental and friendly atmosphere. Founded on strong personal relationships, Chabad educates and empowers people to live the joy of Judaism. We do this with many social activities, classes and events where everyone, from the young child through the senior in our community, will gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of their heritage in a fun interactive way. We provide for the spiritual and material needs of every Jew - regardless of background or affiliation with unconditional love and concern. We look forward to personally welcoming you at the Chabad House where you will find warmth, wisdom and a good time at a House you can call your own!

Chabad Lubavitch is a philosophy, a movement, and an organization. In fact, it is considered to be the most important force in Jewish life today. Today, 4,000 full-time emissary families apply 250 year-old principles and philosophy to direct more than 3,300 institutions dedicated to the welfare of the Jewish people worldwide. Chabad on Campus currently boasts over 256 full-service Chabad Jewish student centers at schools worldwide. The Chabad-Lubavitcher Rebbe once famously said, “when two Jews meet, a third must benefit”. It is with this mind that an important part of this movement, is the focus on the spiritual and social needs of the University of Guelph’s Jewish students, as well as the local Guelph community. The organization is dedicated to the furtherance of Jewish education at all levels in the hope that it will inspire exploration of one's heritage and strengthen overall Jewish connection. Acceptance of every Jew regardless of background or prior experience is the hallmark of our philosophy.

Dr Jeff White was born in Mount Forest, ON. He converted to Judaism, becoming a Ger Tzedek, and married his wife Lisa, not long after they met at the University of Guelph. Together they raised 3 beautiful children here in Guelph. They imbued their family with Judaism and made it central to their life. When the idea of establishing Chabad of Guelph was proposed, Jeff & Lisa were excited and took a leadership role in bringing it to fruition. Jeff and Lisa took Chabad of Guelph under their wing and would support our work in countless ways. Rabbi Raphi remembers Jeff helping him build the Sukkah each year and knocking signs in the ground along the Hanlon so every student would know about the welcome BBQ. Jeff shockingly passed away at the young age of 55, shattering his family and community. He dreamed of a bustling Shul, Mikvah, Torah classes, and more in Guelph. On Jeff’s fifth Yahrtzeit, Lisa White donated the Chabad House property to Chabad, giving Chabad a permanent home, and Chabad of Guelph was renamed the Dr. Jeff & Lisa White Chabad of Guelph in recognition of this monumental gift. We hope to give Jeff the legacy of a bustling shul, Mikvah, Torah classes and more, as he deserves! May his memory be for a blessing.

Rabbi Raphi Steiner grew up in Thornhill, Ontario, where he attended the Cheder Chabad of Toronto. In 2002 Rabbi Raphi Steiner went on to study at the Michigan Jewish Institute in Oak Park Michigan. He then continued his studies as an exchange student in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He received his rabbinic ordination from the Central Chabad Rabbinical Court in Israel and completed his studies at the Central Lubavitch Yeshiva in Brooklyn, New York. Since 2009, Rabbi Raphi has served as the program director and student liaison for the international Student Committee at Lubavitch World Headquarters in Brooklyn, New York. In this capacity, he joined a team in creating and executing extracurricular programming for the worldwide Chabad-Lubavitch Yeshiva system. Rabbi Raphi, met and married his wife Mussie in 2012. He later managed special projects and directed an overhaul of the POS system at a high end retail store in Brooklyn, NY. Mrs. Mussie Steiner was born in Brooklyn, New York. She grew up in the community of the Chabad-Lubavitcher Rebbe. The Rebbe imbued her with a sense of mission to devote her life to Jewish education and community. She graduated with distinction from the Bais Rivka School, and continued her post-graduate studies at Machon Shoshana Girls Seminary in Jerusalem, Israel. Mussie went on to pursue an early childhood education degree and taught at the Yeled V'Yalda early childhood center, as well as the Lubavitch on the Palisades preschool. Mussie’s energetic personality coupled with her unique talents and people skills has made her a number one teacher, program director, and friend. Her fantastic cooking attracts large crowds to Shabbat dinners at the Chabad House.

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