From Storefront to Landmark: Chabad Cary, North Carolina to Expand

What began as a small storefront Chabad in Cary, North Carolina, has grown into a thriving Jewish center now preparing to open its first permanent home.

For years, Cary, North Carolina, has been one of the fastest-growing and most family-friendly communities in America.

Nestled between Raleigh and Durham, Western Wake County has become known for beautiful neighborhoods, excellent schools, strong economic opportunity, and a quality of life that continues to attract families from across the country.

But something else has been growing here too.

Jewish life.

A frum traveler passing through North Carolina on business walks into Chabad of Cary on Shabbos morning, expecting to find a small minyan in a quiet storefront.

Instead, he opens the door and is greeted by the smell of cholent, the sound of spirited conversation, children running in and out, and a room filled with fifty or more mispallelim.

For a moment, he pauses.

“Where am I?”

This is not Long Island.
This is not Atlanta.
This is not Houston.

This is Cary, North Carolina — a suburban town in an area with no long history of Jewish life.

And yet, something remarkable is happening.

Originally founded by Rabbi Aaron and Leah Herman, Chabad of Cary has been led for the past sixteen years by Rabbi Yisroel and Chana Cotlar. What began as a modest small town Chabad presence has grown into a thriving center serving Cary, Morrisville, Apex, Holly Springs, and the greater Western Wake region.

Today, close to 100 children are enrolled in Hebrew School, ka”h. Multiple shiurim take place every week. Yomim Tovim and community programs regularly fill beyond capacity. Shabbos mornings are alive with davening, Kiddush, and a lively Parsha discussion that often continues long after davening has ended.

But the numbers only tell part of the story.

Slowly, quietly, something deeper is being built: a real culture of Torah life in a place where many would never have expected it.

In the last six months alone, five Jewish families have moved specifically to be within walking distance of the future shul. More homes are being kashered. Teenagers are seeking deeper connection. Several young people who first became involved through Chabad of Cary have gone on to Lubavitch mosdos and are today living fully observant Jewish lives.

Because Cary is only minutes from RDU Airport, there is also a steady flow of Jewish travelers who unexpectedly discover a warm meal, a place to daven, and a Jewish home away from home.

Over the years, many groups of Lubavitcher girls have come to Cary for a year of shlichus. Many describe it as one of the most transformative experiences of their lives — learning what it means to build Jewish life from the ground up, one family, one mitzvah, and one neshama at a time.

The Farmer Who Found His Jewish Home
Recently, “Murray”* — a North Carolina farmer for decades — found his way to Chabad of Cary.

Like many Jews living in smaller communities, his connection to Yiddishkeit had slowly drifted over the years. But when a Chabad of Cary family moved into his neighborhood, he was drawn to the warmth of their home, their Sukkah, their kosher kitchen, and the visible pride with which they lived as Jews.

He soon asked to join them at Chabad.

Today, he puts on tefillin every single day. After reading a book about the Rebbe, he asked Rabbi Cotlar for a picture of the Rebbe to hang in his home.

“This is the first time in my life,” he said quietly, “that I’ve found my Jewish home.”

Think about that.

A Jewish man, with a precious neshama and generations of Jewish heritage behind him, lived most of his life without ever experiencing that feeling — even after years in larger Jewish cities.

And then, in a storefront in Cary, North Carolina, he found it.

Building the Future
After nearly a decade of planning, dreaming, perseverance, and countless small miracles, construction is finishing up on the Mendel Jewish Center — a permanent 13,000-square-foot home for Jewish life in Cary/Morrisville, at the heart of the community it serves.

Named in memory of Mendel Cotlar, a special young bochur whose life continues to inspire kindness & gratitude the center is being designed as a true Jewish community hub. Mendel’s legacy continues to inspire the values that define this growing community: seeing every bracha as a gift and every Jewish soul as precious.

The new center will include:

• A spacious permanent shul
• Expanded Hebrew School and CKids facilities
• A dedicated CTeen lounge
• Community gathering and learning spaces
• Kosher Dining for locals and travelers
• A future community mikvah

This is not a project being carried by one major donor.

There was no single multi-million-dollar gift leading the charge. Instead, hundreds of local families, friends, supporters, and people who believe in this shlichus have helped bring the campaign to nearly five million dollars raised.

Now, the finish line is in sight. Construction is nearing completion. The dream is becoming real.

But funds are still urgently needed to complete key portions of the building, furnish the new spaces, and bring the vision fully to life.

The next “Murray” is already out there somewhere.

The next child who will discover the beauty of Yiddishkeit is waiting.

The next family searching for a Jewish home may be only a few miles away.

And the infrastructure to reach them is being built right now.

We are turning to Anash, friends, supporters, and all those who believe in the power of shlichus in places like Cary, North Carolina — including those who know the Shluchim personally — to please partner with us in completing the Mendel Jewish Center. Every contribution, large or small, helps turn this storefront story into a permanent landmark of Jewish life.

As a token of appreciation, all contributors of $54 or more from Anash worldwide will receive a beautifully produced Birchos HaShachar booklet, a new initiative of Chabad of Cary dedicated in Mendel’s memory. Featuring a clear translation of the morning brachos, along with meaningful reflections and meditations, the booklet is designed to help readers begin each day with gratitude and awareness of Hashem’s gifts. It is equally suited for personal use, for sharing with mekuravim, or for use on mivtzoim.

Cary, North Carolina, may once have been a secret.

Not anymore.

To partner in completing the Mendel Jewish Center, please visit:

https://causematch.com/chabadofcary

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