Nearly one year after the Simchat Torah terrorist attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7, noted philanthropists Debbie and Michael Flacks generously have given a $5 million gift to Colel Chabad, Israel’s oldest and largest charitable organization, to erect a new center dedicated to promoting community service and acts of kindness. The 10-story “Flacks Chessed Tower” will be located in the heart of Jerusalem next to the Machaneh Yehudah open-air market.
“We created this space as a hub for inclusion, education and acts of kindness, ushering in a new era of hospitality and communal activism,” said Rabbi Zalman Duchman, development director of Colel Chabad. “The Lubavitcher Rebbe taught that a little light counteracts much darkness. Our response to the senseless acts of terror on our fellow Jews is to build a center dedicated toward spreading kindness, good deeds and taking care of our fellow Jews.”
From an art studio and soup kitchen to a synagogue and housing center, the tower will help expand the charity’s impact by creating a place for creativity, comfort and community in Israel’s capital city.
The Flacks have been a pivotal force for philanthropy in Israel, contributing to many social and humanitarian projects over the years. Some of their projects include the Flacks Supermarket, one of Israel’s biggest not-for-profit grocery stores, which opened in Beitar in 2005. They also support other Colel Chabad activities—most notably, its nutrition support programs and orphan programs.
“These trying times call for us to increase our efforts and recommit ourselves to helping those less fortunate than us,” said Michael Flacks. “The Chesed Tower marks a new phase of our partnership with Colel Chabad. It will not only physically sustain, but will also nurture the spirits of the entire community.”
In continuous operation since 1788, Colel Chabad feeds Israel’s vulnerable populations including widows, Holocaust survivors and low-income families. Since Oct. 7, Colel Chabad has assisted more than 100,000 displaced individuals from Israel’s south by providing them with food, clothing and other basic essentials.
Rabbi Sholom Duchman, executive director of Colel Chabad, noted the many philanthropic endeavors in Israel, Europe and the United States spearheaded by the Flacks. “We treasure our longtime partnership with the Flacks Family and are thrilled to usher in a new phase of chesed in Israel with the Chesed Tower.”
