Chabad of the West Coast has inaugurated a massive new 16-story complex in central Los Angeles that will become the largest Jewish center in North America, following a $100 million donation by real estate developer Alon Abady and his wife, Monique.
The property, donated in memory of Abady’s mother, Liora Abady, is considered one of the largest single contributions ever made to a Jewish organization. It will be transformed into a comprehensive Chabad campus dedicated to Jewish life, education and community services.
The complex spans approximately 28,000 square meters and includes 1,200 parking spaces. It is located in the heart of Los Angeles’ Jewish community, at the gateway to Century City and Beverly Hills, directly across from the Hillcrest Country Club and near Fox Studios and the Simon Wiesenthal Center.
The campus, to be known as the Abady Family Center, will house a wide range of institutions and programs, including a central synagogue, halls for Jewish life-cycle events, educational institutions, programs for youth and seniors, support for thousands of Jewish university students, and infrastructure for large community and international events.
It will also include specialized programs for children with special needs, comprehensive services for California’s growing elderly population, and innovative museums using multimedia to present Jewish history, heritage and the story of Israel to both Jewish and non-Jewish visitors.
Rabbi Shlomo Cunin, director of Chabad of the West Coast, said the new campus would serve as “an epicenter of Jewish life in California.”
“There is nothing like this,” he said, adding that the extraordinary gift reflects the Lubavitcher Rebbe’s mission to spread goodness and kindness. He described the center as a “beacon of light” that will strengthen Jewish life and serve both the Los Angeles community and world Jewry for generations.
Abady said his family immigrated to the United States in the 1970s with almost no financial means and soon faced severe economic hardship. During that period, the family encountered Chabad and Rabbi Shlomo Cunin, who helped them through the crisis.
“We never forgot that kindness,” Abady said. “When Chabad approached me about a building I had recently purchased, my response was immediate. This gift reflects our deep commitment to the Los Angeles community, of all faiths and backgrounds, and our desire to leave a lasting impact for future generations. It is a life dream that allows me to honor my parents and my children.”
The inauguration ceremony was attended by rabbis and community leaders, and the first mezuzah was affixed to the building. Organizers described the project as a direct response to the global rise in antisemitism, reflecting the Lubavitcher Rebbe’s call to increase acts of goodness precisely during difficult times.