Serving Miami’s Jewish Community since 1989
We are here to offer Judaism with love to every single Jew, regardless of background or affiliation. Chabad is your Home.
Over 30 years of tradition & inclusion
The heart of Miami’s Jewish community at the heart of Coconut Grove
Bet Ovadia-Chabad of Miami is a Jewish community center in the truest sense of the term—the nerve center of all the educational and outreach activities of Chabad of South Dade, serving the needs of the entire Jewish community, from the youngsters to the elderly, and everyone in between. The Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, of righteous memory, constantly called for the expansion of activities in existing Chabad Houses and the establishment of new Chabad Houses wherever Jews live: in the cities, in the suburbs, on college campuses throughout the nation, and around the world.
We are here for every Jew, whatever and wherever the need may be, from the mountains of Nepal to Coconut Grove. We are here to offer Judaism with love to every single Jew, regardless of background or affiliation. Chabad is your Home. There is no membership charge, and absolutely no conditions attached. We accept you "as is." Come learn with us, pray with us, celebrate with us, and care for each other with joy and warmth. All of this, at your convenience.
Get to Know Our People
Rabbi Yakov & Rebbetzin Gutal Fellig
Founders & Spiritual Leaders
yfellig@chabad.miami
gutal@chabad.miami
Mrs. Chana’le Gourarie
Director, Miami Jewish Montessori
Fidel Perez
Building Manager
Rabbi Levi & Sashie Friedman
Associate Rabbi & Program Directors
rabbifriedman@chabad.miami
sashie@chabad.miami
Edmalia Constanza
Administrator
…and there’s a whole lot more.
We oversee 13 Chabad branches across the City of Miami, allowing us to connect with more people and spread more Judaism.
What is Chabad?
Chabad-Lubavitch is a philosophy, a movement, and an organization. It is considered to be the most dynamic force in Jewish life today.
The Philosophy
The word “Chabad” is a Hebrew acronym for the three intellectual faculties of chochmah—wisdom, binah—comprehension and da’at—knowledge. The movement’s system of Jewish religious philosophy, the deepest dimension of G‑d’s Torah, teaches understanding and recognition of the Creator, the role and purpose of creation, and the importance and unique mission of each creature. This philosophy guides a person to refine and govern his or her every act and feeling through wisdom, comprehension and knowledge.
The word “Lubavitch” is the name of the town in White Russia where the movement was based for more than a century. Appropriately, the word Lubavitch in Russian means the “city of brotherly love.” The name Lubavitch conveys the essence of the responsibility and love engendered by the Chabad philosophy toward every single Jew.
The Movement
Following its inception 250 years ago, the Chabad-Lubavitch movement—a branch of Hasidism—swept through Russia and spread in surrounding countries as well. It provided scholars with answers that eluded them, and simple farmers with a love that had been denied them. Eventually the philosophy of Chabad-Lubavitch and its adherents reached almost every corner of the world and affected almost every facet of Jewish life.
The Leadership
The movement is guided by the teachings of its seven leaders (“Rebbes”), beginning with Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi of righteous memory (1745–1812). These leaders expounded upon the most refined and delicate aspects of Jewish mysticism, creating a corpus of study thousands of books strong. They personified the age-old Biblical qualities of piety and leadership. And they concerned themselves not only with Chabad-Lubavitch, but with the totality of Jewish life, spiritual and physical. No person or detail was too small or insignificant for their love and dedication.
In our generation, the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson of righteous memory (1902–1994), known simply as “the Rebbe,” guided post-holocaust Jewry to safety from the ravages of that devastation.
The Organization
The origins of today’s Chabad-Lubavitch organization can be traced to the early 1940s, when the sixth Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn of righteous memory (1880–1950), appointed his son-in-law and later successor, Rabbi Menachem Mendel, to head the newly founded educational and social service arms of the movement.
Motivated by his profound love for every Jew and spurred by his boundless optimism and self-sacrifice, the Rebbe set into motion a dazzling array of programs, services and institutions to serve every Jew.
Today over 5,000 full-time emissary families (2,000 in the United States) apply 250-year-old principles and philosophy to direct more than 3,500 institutions (and a workforce that numbers in the tens of thousands) dedicated to the welfare of the Jewish people worldwide.