Chabad Lubavitch of Berks County

2320 Hampden Blvd.

History: At one point in time there were four Jewish synagogues in Reading. Today, Chabad is the only one within the city. The name Chabad Lubavitch means wisdom, understanding and knowledge and is itself a denomination of Judaism. Chabad’s original congregation was founded in 1888, and in 1960 they built and moved into their current property on Hampden Boulevard.

Congregation/ space: The congregation owns 3 buildings, including the synagogue as well as the Chabad Hospitality Center that was built on the property in 2021. They have a spacious worship area for those who come to services each week, a large fellowship space where they host gatherings like wedding receptions and bar mitzvahs, and a kitchen space with commercial-grade appliances.

Programs: In addition to the Hebrew school run by Chana Lisper and various drive-by and zoom events, the Chabad and Rabbi Yosef Lipsker have played a huge role in addiction and recovery work through the Caron Foundation since 1999. Rabbi Lipsker consults struggling individuals and their families from all over the country via phone call, and has impacted thousands over the years. They make use of the new Hospitality Center by inviting recovering addicts once a week over to the home for a sit-down dinner with the rabbi and his family.