In the News
A Good year in "Goodyear"
With a Jewish population of 3,000, Goodyear – situated on land purchased in 1917 from the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company – draws warm weather enthusiasts, working professionals and golf mavens alike. The thriving city, where the median age is 35, is dotted with trendy restaurants and recreational parks, and is also the site of Goodyear Ballpark, spring training ground for the Cleveland Indians and Cincinnati Reds. But when Zaklikofsky happened upon Goodyear, there was one noticeable thing absent: a synagogue. "I saw that this was a vibrant community that was being built up and I figured there must be Jews living there," recalls Zaklikofsky of that initial quick stop. "It was a brand new city with a wonderful infrastructure. But it was also far away from Jewish culture. There was no rabbi. The nearest synagogue was a 30-minute drive at least. Some people were driving 45 minutes to an hour to a synagogue in Scottsdale." Without missing a beat, Zaklikofsky returned to Brooklyn and began hatching plans to establish the Chabad Jewish Center of Goodyear. Rabbi Zalman Levertov, regional director of Chabad of Arizona, was also instrumental in rallying support for the project. "We held our first event last December during Chanukah," says Zaklikofsky, now co-director of the new Chabad House. "We didn't even have a building yet." Zaklikofsky admits that he was "not optimistic" about the turn-out for Goodyear's inaugural public menorah lighting, so much so that he only ordered 80 latkes, the traditional potato pancake eaten during the eight-day festival of lights. He assumed he'd over-ordered. "I was expecting 50 people," he gently laughs of the outdoor gathering at a local park. "200 people showed up." On June 1, the Chabad Jewish Center of Goodyear officially moved into its new rented quarters at 2508 North 134thAvenue. "G‑d willing, in the next couple of years, based on the enthusiasm and excitement of the community, we'll get together and build a permanent home," says Zak
