photo by: Chabad Center for Jewish Life

A groundbreaking celebration for the new Chabad Center for Jewish Life will take place next month with a host of local dignitaries and entertainment.

The celebration will take place at 1 p.m. on Sept. 8 at 1203 W. 19th St. Festivities will include a groundbreaking ceremony, community Leaders and fun activities including photos with Big Jay, giveaways and refreshments.

The multimillion-dollar facility, as the Journal-World reported last year, will serve as a hub for Jewish culture and celebration serving the KU and Northeast Kansas Jewish communities. A two-story building with front and back outdoor plazas will be constructed on the site, including a dedicated parking lot.

Rabbi Zalman and Nechama Tiechtel direct and lead the Jewish Center. They say it will host events for all people, to learn and explore about the Jewish heritage and culture. It will especially serve as a safe space for Jewish students to gather in prayer, celebration and community.

“We are delighted to have many families in the community who have already made major gifts and will be honored at the groundbreaking,” they said in a news release Monday. “We are inviting the entire KU and Lawrence community to gather together in celebration of this great milestone, marking the historical first time in Lawrence history that a new structure is being built for the KU Jewish student community.”