Building Updates
Donor Spotlight • Front Door Mezuzah and Grand Opening
Friends, We are thrilled to share the latest developments in the building project that fill us with joy and anticipation!
• The Sign is up • Security Cameras Installed • Floors are in
RSVP for the Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting: June 29 (3 Tammuz)! RSVP at HarfordHaven.org/Grand-Opening
With gratitude to Hashem and much excitement, we continue to make meaningful progress.
This milestone represents not just a building, but the realization of our community's shared vision and dedication.
Together, we are creating a sacred space where Torah learning, prayer, and celebration will flourish for years to come.
Donor Spotlight: The Front Door Mezuzah An Open Door for Jewish Connection
I wasn’t connected to my Judaism, and I’m not some big philanthropist. A few years ago, I reached out to Harford Chabad to get a mezuzah and ended up on the email list.
That one little step, just asking for a mezuzah, sparked something deeper.
You inspired me. Your weekly emails gave me this steady drip of Jewish meaning. I found myself looking forward to them.
Then a few months ago, I bumped into Rabbi Kushi at a local event. That chance meeting reignited something inside. It helped me and my daughters feel more connected, more proud to be Jewish. Little by little, we started doing more mitzvahs. It all started with that mezuzah and the connection just kept growing.
I decided to dedicate the Main Entrance Mezuzah at the new Harford Chabad in honor of my family, the Canner Family. I wanted to stretch myself. I wanted to be part of something real. This wasn’t about recognition or status. It is my way of saying: I’m in. I belong.
Now, every person who walks into the building will pass by that mezuzah.
For someone else, that might be the moment Jewish connection begins —just like it was for me.
Look how powerful one mitzvah can be—and how it can open countless doors.
Building Update - Memorial Garden Outdoor Space and Grand Opening
We are thrilled to share the latest developments in the building project that fill us with joy and anticipation!
- The fence is up
- Restrooms installed
- Outdoor area is almost complete!
Save the UPDATED date for our Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting: June 29 (3 Tammuz)! RSVP at HarfordHaven.org/Grand-Opening
With gratitude to Hashem and much excitement, we continue to make meaningful progress toward our June completion date.
This milestone represents not just a building, but the realization of our community's shared vision and dedication.
Together, we are creating a sacred space where Torah learning, prayer, and celebration will flourish for years to come.
Donor Spotlight: The Memorial Garden
We are deeply honored to recognize Lance Hersh of Saxons Diamond Centers for his heartfelt contribution to our community. In a moving tribute to the remarkable life and spirit of his wife Tina. Lance has dedicated our new memorial garden—a peaceful outdoor sanctuary designed as a place for reflection, connection, and natural beauty.
Tina's vibrant approach to life was characterized by compassion, creativity, and unwavering strength. She devoted herself to caring for children, and transforming the overlooked into the beautiful—much like how this garden space will blossom under thoughtful care.
The Tina Hersh Memorial Garden perfectly embodies her essence and the essence of Harford Chabad. Creating a place where life flourishes, beauty is cultivated, and peaceful moments can be savored.
The space invites both reflection and renewal.
Lance's generous gift demonstrates a profound understanding that sacred spaces exist not only indoors but also in carefully tended gardens where the soul can find comfort. This garden will stand as a living testament to Tina's remarkable courage and maintained her radiant smile that could "light up any room."
May this memorial garden bring peace to all who visit, honor Tina's beautiful legacy of strength and compassion, and serve as a lasting tribute to a woman whose joy for life continues to inspire our community.
Capital Campaign Update
We are thrilled to share an update on our community building project that fills us with joy and anticipation!
The progress we're witnessing is remarkable. Our new spiritual home is taking shape before our eyes:
- The outside is almost complete parking lot etc.
- The doors have been installed
- Drywall is up getting ready for painting and wallpaper
Save the UPDATED date for our Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting: June 29 (3 Tammuz)! RSVP at HarfordHaven.org/Grand-Opening With gratitude to Hashem and much excitement, we continue to make meaningful progress toward our June completion date. This milestone represents not just a building, but the realization of our community's shared vision and dedication. Together, we are creating a sacred space where Torah learning, prayer, and celebration will flourish for years to come.
Donor Spotlight: The Aron Kodesh
We are deeply honored to recognize the meaningful contribution of Phil and Laura Shernofsky and family, who have dedicated our new Aron Kodesh (Holy Ark) in loving memory of their parents, Nat and Shirley Shernofsky.
This beautiful tribute honors a legacy of sincere devotion to Jewish tradition. Nat and Shirley exemplified the "poshute yid" (simple Jew) - individuals whose faith was expressed through genuine dedication to Torah and mitzvot in their daily lives. Their commitment was reflected in touching moments of devotion:
Nat once called for assistance in locating the moon so he could properly recite the blessing on the new moon, and each year they would faithfully observe the tradition of collecting the ten pieces of bread before Pesach, but for Nat it wasn't a part of a piece but a full slice. When questioned he said - in the Haggadah it says 10 pieces of bread!
The Shernofsky family's dedication of the Aron Kodesh is particularly fitting, as this sacred ark houses the Torah scrolls - protecting and honoring them with both simplicity and beauty. Like Nat and Shirley's own lives, the Aron Kodesh stands as a testament to preserving Torah values with unwavering commitment and quiet dignity.
May the merit of establishing this sacred element of our sanctuary bring continued blessings to the Shernofsky family and honor the memory of Nat and Shirley for generations to come.
Make a gift at HarfordHaven.org
For information about contributing to our capital campaign or to schedule a site visit, please contact our development office.
Milestones in Motion: Walls, Gardens, and Groundwork
Exciting progress is underway at the building site! Drywall installation has begun, bringing the interior spaces to life and offering a real sense of what’s to come. What was once an open shell now begins to feel like a real space—one that invites you to imagine the conversations, gatherings, and memories that will soon take place within these walls.
Outside, another beautiful transformation is taking shape. The team is preparing the front area for a thoughtfully designed rain garden—a sustainable and visually striking feature that will help manage stormwater while enhancing the natural beauty of the landscape. It's a small but significant way our project is giving back to the environment and creating a welcoming first impression.