For 29 years, Rabbi Menachem Hertz has cultivated a significant Jewish presence in Edegem, Belgium, a town identified as home to over 500 Jewish families living outside Antwerp’s main community and near the Wilrijk Yeshiva. The cornerstone of this Edegem Jewish life is a beautiful Chabad center, built 14 years ago, which serves as a shul and hosts various functions, including a kindergarten and hall. This Edegem facility has continued to expand, with recent acquisitions during COVID leading to the opening of a restaurant on-site and the purchase of adjacent property specifically for a future Mikvah, complete with privacy fencing.

The Edegem Chabad center actively serves its local and surrounding community with regular Shabbat services and vibrant holiday events that draw large crowds, such as hundreds for Chanukah celebrations in the city center and Sukkos meals.

The pressing next development for the Edegem site is the construction of a new, dedicated Mikvah building, a project which Mikvah Tahara Association has undertake, driven by the needs of local women. This vital Edegem-based facility is estimated to cost 500,000 Euros, with initial fundraising efforts underway to bring this essential resource to the community.