Jewish center will come to Martinez

Plans for a Jewish center in Martinez soon will start to take shape even though the finished product might take a few years to complete.

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Chabad Lubavitch of Augusta, Ga., Inc., a Jewish educational center located on Broad Street, purchased a parcel of land on Old Furys Ferry Road last month for $291,000 with the idea of adding a second religious center in Columbia County.

"We're just starting to get organized right now," said Rabbi Zalman Fischer of the Chabad Center of Augusta. "We should be up and running in a few years."

Long-term plans include building a structure for Jewish study, education, worship and outreach, Fischer said.

The need for an additional location in the county arose, Fischer said, because many families attending services at the downtown site live in or near the area.

He also anticipates creating a feeling of togetherness throughout the county.

"I look forward to a sense of community," he said. "A center that's located near where people live fosters a sense of community."

Fischer described Chabad of Augusta as an outreach-oriented and educational Jewish center that offers a Hebrew school, Sunday school and synagogue services, and adult education classes.

The Orthodox institution, he added, doesn't have a formal membership and also reaches out to unaffiliated Jews.

Though plans for the religious center still are in the beginning phases, Fischer hopes to gather more details, such as the building size and future schedule, in the next few months.

"We're trying to get various committees together to plan the next stage," he said. "By the end of the year, we should have more of a timeline."