Press Releases

Chabad of Berks County Announces Grand Opening of Hospitality Center to Support Families in Recovery

Chabad and Caron Treatment Centers Continue Long-Time Partnership in Support of Recovery in the Jewish Community

Wernersville, PA – August 18, 2021 – Chabad of Berks County will hold an outdoor, grand opening reception on Sunday, August 29^th at 4 p.m., 2310 Hampden Blvd. in Reading to celebrate its new Hospitality Center. A few hundred people are expected to gather at the event, which will also honor community members and organizations committed to hope and spiritual growth, including Caron Treatment Centers, a leading, internationally recognized Berks County-based nonprofit dedicated to addiction and behavioral healthcare treatment, research, prevention, and addiction medicine education.

“It’s so important for patients and families to feel a sense of belonging and community while they’re away from home during treatment for substance use disorder,” said Rabbi Yosef Lipsker, the founder and director of Chabad of Berks County and a spiritual consultant at Caron. “Many families feel lost and experience significant challenges, including fear and anxiety. They’re out of their familiar environment and on a journey both physically and spiritually. In all our years of welcoming families, we’ve often experienced firsthand how walking through our doors becomes a turning point in that journey. They feel a warmth that represents a home away from home. The smell of challah, the taste of chicken soup, the ability to safely practice their traditions often leads them to feel their first real sense of hope since addiction invaded their world. We’re able to help them build a bridge from despair to faith and transformation begins.”

For over 20 years, Rabbi Lipsker, and his wife, Chana, on behalf of Chabad, opened their home for Shabbat and other religious events to thousands of patients and families seeking substance use disorder treatment at Caron. The new center now offers extensive dedicated space for these activities. Additionally, the center provides accommodations for families visiting their loved ones in treatment. They also expect to host small retreats specific to Jewish life and substance use disorder and provide opportunities for the local Jewish community to utilize the building for celebrations as well.

“Addiction is a family disease that often causes people to isolate, shut down and feel alone,” said David Rotenberg, Caron’s Chief Clinical Officer. “Chabad and Caron work together to create an environment where Jewish families can come out of that isolation and heal through connection and community.”

About Chabad of Berks County
Chabad was established to serve the needs of the Jewish people and to strengthen their connection to Judaism. Our open-door policy always brings us new faces and friends, whether for religious services, personal guidance, special events, or many of our other programs throughout the year. Chabad of Berks County has served as an anchor and a home-away-from-home for people of all walks of life for the past 20 years. We welcome new families, individuals, local students, and patients at Caron Treatment Centers with open arms and offer a non-judgmental and warm environment. Over the years, we have developed a valuable partnership with Caron, a connection that has led people from all over the world to contact us for advice and assistance in dealing with recovery from addiction and substance abuse. We also offer synagogue services at our Chabad House and kosher catering services. We are always available to assist in any way we can, so please feel free to reach out to us at office@chabadofberks.org.

Caron Treatment Centers
Caron Treatment Centers is an internationally recognized nonprofit dedicated to addiction and behavioral healthcare treatment, research, prevention, and addiction medicine education. Headquartered in Wernersville, Pennsylvania, our mission is Recovery for Life. For more than 60 years, we have helped thousands of individuals struggling with substance use disorder and their families begin to manage this chronic, treatable disease. Caron provides a continuum of care for teens, young adults, women, men, and older adults. Caron’s signature programming provides concierge treatment for executives, healthcare professionals, older adults and first responders. In addition to the Pennsylvania campus, Caron provides services in Palm Beach County, Florida, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, and New York City. Caron accepts several major insurance plans and provides financial assistance for those who qualify. For more information, please visit caron.org or @CaronTreatment.