SOUTHAMPTON, Pa. (CBS) — The Lubavitch of Bucks County’s CTeen program has opened Pennsylvania’s first safe space for Jewish teenagers. Members of the community say the center is a much-needed resource.
The center opened Sunday night in Southampton and is the first of its kind in the region.
“The CTeen lounge is a place for teens to come together, gather together, build a network of the camaraderie of like-minded teens to explore their heritage, their culture, especially at a time like today,” CTeen Program Director Rabbi Chaim Shemtov said.
Shemtov says around 100 teens were in attendance for Sunday night’s opening.
The center will provide both recreational and educational activities for the local and wider Jewish communities. The lounge is one of 20 similar centers that have been launched nationally under the CTeen umbrella.
Shemtov says plans for the creation of the center were accelerated to support local Jewish youth after the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks on Israel .