CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. (VINnews) — New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft has donated $5 million toward the construction of a new Chabad center in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, which will be named in honor of his family, Kraft and the organization announced Wednesday.

The 23,000-square-foot facility, to be known as the Kraft Family Chabad at Chestnut Hill, is under construction at the corner of Bellingham Road and Grove Street. The $25 million project began last year and is expected to be completed in fall 2027.

With gratitude to Hashem, we announce a historic $5 million gift from the Kraft family, naming our new home the Kraft Family Chabad at Chestnut Hill.

Watch this special message from Robert Kraft!

David Frankel, Building Chair
Rabbi Mendy & Grunie Uminer
https://t.co/AT3x5p8gOD https://t.co/W5bjKh7MhK

— Rabbi Mendy Uminer (@Chabadch) October 14, 2026

“Chestnut Hill is my home. It is where I raised my family. And having a vibrant Chabad center right here in my hometown means a great deal to me and the Kraft family,” Kraft said in a video announcement. “Knowing it will serve Jewish families for generations to come makes it even more meaningful.”

Kraft, a billionaire businessman and Brookline native, is a prominent supporter of Jewish causes. His latest donation brings the project’s fundraising total to $20 million, according to the Chabad website. The organization is seeking an additional $5 million to complete the fundraising campaign.

Chabad-Lubavitch, an Orthodox Jewish movement with a worldwide network of institutions, has expanded its presence in Chestnut Hill under Rabbi Mendy Uminer. The congregation has grown from seven families in the early 2000s to hundreds today.

The community currently holds services, classes and other programs at its synagogue at 163 Bellingham Road.

Kraft and Uminer have developed a relationship over the years. Kraft celebrated a second bar mitzvah with the Chabad community last year, while Uminer officiated at the wedding of one of Kraft’s granddaughters and performed the bris for Kraft’s first great-grandson.

The new center’s development faced opposition from some neighborhood residents and delays of nearly a year as neighbors challenged the proposal and a town board sought to halt the demolition of two single-family homes on the site.

Chabad sued the town twice and prevailed in both cases, ultimately securing the permits needed to begin construction last year.

Once completed, the center is expected to serve Jewish families in Chestnut Hill and surrounding communities for generations.