Middle Tennessee Welcomes New Chabad Center

Ellen Monen, a graphic designer and brand strategist enjoys the peaceful lifestyle in Franklin, Tennessee. But something was missing. As she put it, “There was nothing” in the way of organized Jewish life for residents of Williamson County, a sprawling area that encompasses much of the southern suburbs of Nashville. 

That’s about to change, as Rabbi Mendel and Chana Baron are set to open Chabad of Williamson County, serving the area’s burgeoning Jewish community.

It started with “Jewish Franklin”—a Facebook group, launched by Monen as a way to connect.  “Someone had posted on a local moms group asking where all the Jews were, and I saw there was a clear need. So, I just did it.” As interest in the group grew, they began organizing a public Chanukah celebration. “That’s when I met Rabbi Yitzchok Tiechtel,” Ellen told Lubavitch.com. Rabbi Tiechtel, who directs Chabad of Nashville with his wife, Esther, brought a giant six-foot menorah to the event.

More than 400 people showed up that night.

After that, it was clear that Franklin—and Williamson County—was ready for an infusion of Jewish life. “People have approached us; they say, ‘we want a Chabad, we want a school, a preschool to put our children in,’” Tiechtel said. 

One of those people was Jessica Brunish. A Brooklyn, New York native, Brunish lives in Brentwood, Tennessee with her daughter. “I was looking for a connection to the Jewish world, because that’s where I come from—I want my daughter to have that as well,” Brunish told Lubavitch.com. She got in touch with Chabad of Nashville and met Esther Tiechtel. “We visited for a Shabbat, and it was beautiful,” Brunish said. “I am extremely grateful; I believe that G-d put the Tiechtels in my life just when I needed them.”

As Amazon and Oracle—among others—have brought jobs to the area, the community has grown. Where once the Jewish community numbered some 200 families, today Rabbi Tiechtel estimates that that number has grown to 800 or 900 families. After hearing from Monen, from Brunish, and from many others how much the area needed a Chabad house, the Tiechtels recruited their daughter and son-in-law. 

The Barons will host a litany of programs to serve the area’s Jewish community, with an eye towards serving the many young families that call Williamson County home, like Jessica Brunish and her daughter. “I don’t have many Jewish friends in the area, so it will be nice to be able to honor the holidays and bring my daughter to learn about her heritage,” Brunish said. “I want to teach my daughter what I was taught, and Chabad will help me foster that love for Judaism.”

Ellen Monen says that the new Chabad center “feels like it’s the beginning of something much bigger, the beginning of more growth. We have people who are really interested in teaching their children what it means to be Jewish, and even just connecting with other Jews like them; It feels like this is all the beginning of a community that will grow into something much bigger.”