Jewish Center Becomes First Synagogue to Open in Hoboken in 100 Years

History was made in Hoboken yesterday as 250 people marched through the Mile Square City in celebration of the official opening of the Chabad Jewish Center, Hoboken’s first synagogue to open in the city in 100 years.

The day of celebration began with a traditional Torah ceremony at the Chabad-Lubavitch Jewish Center, located at 80 Park Street, the Jersey Journal reported. Rabbi Moshe Shapiro led the ceremony, where believers of all ages helped pen the last 304,805 Hebrew letters of the Torah.

The Sephardic Torah took more than a year to complete. After the ink dried, the sacred document was placed in a cermonial case and carried from the Chabad Center to Washington Street. The procession included hundreds of supporters who marched to the beat of traditional Jewish music, waving flags, and carrying small torches.

After the parade, a ribbon cutting marked the opening of the center. The day concluded with a feast on Newark Street, the Jersey Journal reported.

“It’s a great source of pride that there’s a new sacred Torah and more,” Jacob Kafka, 26 told the Jersey Journal. “To have a source of learning, spiritual growth I think is a great thing for the community,” Kafka, who came from Jersey City to attend the event expressed.

To learn more about the Chabad-Lubavitch Jewish Center, visit the Jewish Center online.