Submitted by Cincinnati Community Kollel
On Tuesday, October 20, 2026, the Cincinnati Community Kollel put its first shovels in the ground, launching the construction of its long awaited new home.
A large crowd of community members, friends and supporters gathered at the site to celebrate the groundbreaking of the Kollel’s new 11,000-square-foot building. People from across Cincinnati’s Jewish community came together to mark a milestone more than three decades in the making.
For 32 years, the Kollel has served Cincinnati in its original buildings that never stayed big enough for long. As the community grew, along with it the Kollel’s programs and participants multiplied. The Kollel added on and extended its space again and again to keep up with demand.
Those additions bought time, but they could not keep pace with the Kollel’s appeal. The Beis Medrash filled up with learning and davening throughout the day and night and needed to be split into multiple rooms and buildings.
It is a wonderful problem to have. It means the Kollel’s mission is working: more people are learning, davening and connecting than ever before. But a growing institution needs room to keep growing.
The new building gives the Kollel the room it needs to keep serving Cincinnati for decades to come. At 11,000 square feet, it allows the Kollel’s many learning and programming events to run side by side with ease.
That means a dedicated place for learning and davening and a gathering space for the events that bring the community together. This will give the Kollel the ability to expand its learning opportunities, add shiurim and classes, and be able to serve a wider range of people from the Cincinnati Jewish community.
One of Kollel’s greatest strengths is that it welcomes everyone. Whether you have been learning Gemara for decades or are just beginning to explore your Jewish heritage, there is a seat for you, and the new building is designed with that whole community in mind. Seniors will find a warm place to learn, connect and stay involved. Children will enjoy engaging programs from the dedicated Kollel Rabbis that make learning come alive. Men and women will each have classes and learning opportunities at times that work best for them.
The new building will also allow for expansion of CJX, the Kollel’s outreach affiliate. CJX creates engaging and welcoming Jewish experiences for people of every background. In the new building, CJX will have the space to expand its programming and reach even more people across the city.
The groundbreaking had the feel of a true celebration. Rows of shovels stood ready, and the Kollel’s major donors and supporters put on hard hats and lined up to turn over the first earth while the eager crowd gathered to witness.
One of the most moving moments came when Rabbi Spetner, the Rosh Kollel, read a message from the Kollel’s founder Mr. Steve Rosedale, who was unable to attend. Recalling the Kollel’s humble beginnings, Mr. Rosedale said that the goal was “to make a Makom Torah – a place of Torah, creating the fire that comes from learning Torah,” and to “tap into the Jewish heart that is in every Jew.”
With the ground officially broken, construction now begins with the anticipated completion of this coming summer. Rabbi Spetner shared, “Many generous donors have already stepped up to make this building possible, but there is still room for more partners. He added, “The shovels are put away, but the work, and the excitement, is just getting started. We can’t wait to welcome you inside.”
