Chabad Lubavitch of Ireland
Chabad-Lubavitch in the Republic of Ireland: Chabad-Lubavitch of Ireland CLG, the Dublin Chabad centre and kosher deli in Rathmines run by Rabbi Zalman Lent and Rifky Lent
| Chabad Lubavitch of Ireland
| |
|---|---|
| Logo |  Logo of Chabad Ireland |
| Type | Jewish religious organisation (Chabad-Lubavitch) |
| Founded | 6 May 2021 (company incorporated) |
| Headquarters | Dublin |
| Location | 89 Rathmines Road Upper, Rathmines, Dublin 6, D06 CX89, Republic of Ireland |
| Area served | Republic of Ireland |
| Key people | Zalman Lent, Rifky Lent |
| Website | https://www.chabadireland.org |
Chabad Lubavitch of Ireland (legally Chabad-Lubavitch of Ireland Company Limited by Guarantee, known as Chabad Ireland) is the Chabad-Lubavitch organisation in the Republic of Ireland. It runs a Chabad centre with a kosher delicatessen at 89 Rathmines Road Upper, Dublin 6, D06 CX89, and is led by Rabbi Zalman Lent and Rifky Lent.[1][2][3] The Irish Times described it in 2023 as "Dublin's first Chabad centre".[4]
History
According to Chabad Ireland, Zalman and Rifky Lent have lived in Ireland since 2000, "first as Youth Rabbi and Rebbetzin, and then as the Rabbi and Rebbetzin of the Dublin Hebrew Congregation", and during that time "were also the representatives in Ireland of the global Chabad-Lubavitch outreach movement". It says that, "Due to changing demographics within the Irish Jewish Community", they were expanding that role by opening a Chabad centre in south Dublin.[2] The Irish Times called Lent "the former rabbi" in 2023.[4]
The company was incorporated on 6 May 2021.[1] In July 2022 the Jewish News reported that Chabad would build the centre "on the site of a former Chinese restaurant in the Rathmines area", to provide kosher food, café and restaurant facilities, Torah classes and Shabbat dinners, and that it was expected to open that September. It quoted the former justice minister Alan Shatter, speaking to The Sunday Times: "It's a positive and good development, and I wish him [Rabbi Lent] well with it." The paper cited census figures of 2,557 Jews in Ireland in 2016, against 1,984 in 2011; Maurice Cohen, chairman of the Jewish Representative Council of Ireland, urged commentators to wait for the 2022 census before assessing the size of the community.[5]
In September 2023 The Irish Times reported that "The former rabbi Zlaman [sic] Lent and his wife Rifky have opened Dublin's first Chabad centre in Rathmines", complementing other community services, "including a delicatessen serving kosher food", and that with the opening "Dublin is no longer an outlier among capital cities in not having a Chabad centre."[4]
Activities
Chabad Ireland says it offers educational classes, Shabbat dinners and mitzvah projects, and "a home away from home" for students and young professionals.[2] Its in-house kosher deli at 89 Rathmines Road Upper sells sandwiches, cakes, coffee, salads, frozen meat and packaged food, delivers fresh food through Deliveroo or its own website, and sends shelf-stable food anywhere in Ireland.[3] Chabad's world headquarters lists it as "Chabad Lubavitch of Dublin".[6]
Registration
Chabad-Lubavitch of Ireland Company Limited by Guarantee is registered with the Companies Registration Office under company number 694706. It was registered on 6 May 2021; its status is "Normal", its registered address is 89 Rathmines Road Upper, Dublin 6, D06 CX89, its activity code is NACE 9491 (activities of religious organisations), the register gives 28 February 2026 as the date of its last annual return and 31 May 2025 as its last accounts date.[1] Chabad Ireland gives its registered charity number as 20206274,[2] and JCR-UK records it as a charity registered in 2021, with Zalman and Rifky Lent as directors since its foundation.[7]
The Charities Regulator's Register of Charitable Organisations lists Chabad-Lubavitch of Ireland Company Limited by Guarantee under registered charity number 20206274, with the status "Registered". When the register was consulted on 27 October 2026, it marked the charity's annual report as filed late. The register gives the organisation type as CLG (company limited by guarantee), its location as 89 Rathmines Road Upper, Rathmines, Dublin D06 CX89, Republic of Ireland, and its web address as chabadireland.org. It lists four charitable purposes:
- the advancement of religion;
- another purpose that is of benefit to the community;
- the advancement of community welfare, including the relief of those in need because of youth, age, ill-health or disability;
- the promotion of religious or racial harmony and harmonious community relations.
The charity's objects are recorded as "The advancement of the Orthodox Jewish Faith and benefit to the community throughout Ireland through the provision of information, support, education, engagement, assistance and guidance including Kosher food and Judaica provision and events for the community and wider public." On 25 June 2026 the charity declared to the regulator that it fully complied with the Charities Governance Code. The register notes that its information is supplied by the charities themselves and by other third parties.[8]
See also
- Chabad-Lubavitch movement
- Jewish, Zionist and Israeli connections to Ireland
- Chabad Lubavitch in the UK
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Companies Registration Office, "Chabad-Lubavitch of Ireland Company Limited by Guarantee, company number 694706", CRO open data (companies register), accessed 25 October 2026.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "About Us", Chabad Ireland, accessed 25 October 2026.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Kosher in Ireland", Chabad Ireland, accessed 25 October 2026.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Patsy McGarry, "Ireland's Jews: a small community that has made a 'rich contribution' to Irish life", The Irish Times, 24 September 2023.
- ↑ Lee Harpin, "Chabad opening new centre in Dublin to cater for growing Irish-Jewish community", Jewish News, 4 July 2022.
- ↑ "Ireland – Centers", Chabad Lubavitch World Headquarters, accessed 25 October 2026.
- ↑ "Chabad Ireland, Dublin, Republic of Ireland", JCR-UK (JewishGen and the Jewish Genealogical Society of Great Britain), accessed 25 October 2026.
- ↑ Charities Regulator, Register of Charitable Organisations, entry for RCN 20206274 (Chabad-Lubavitch of Ireland Company Limited by Guarantee), Overview tab (copy supplied by David), accessed 27 October 2026.