Rabbi Zalman Levitin

Executive Director

Zalman Levitin grew up as the rabbi’s son in New Haven, Connecticut. As a Chabad Yeshiva student, he led services and programs all over the world before receiving rabbinic ordination and then settling on Palm Beach in the summer of 2006 with his wife Hindel as the official Chabad emissaries to town. Under Rabbi Levitin’s leadership, The Chabad House on the island of Palm Beach has blossomed into a vibrant full-service center serving the entire Jewish community and its visitors and tourists.

But, at the end of the day, what really thrills Rabbi Levitin, who is known for his warmth, enthusiasm, and compassion, is simply hanging a mezuzah on someone’s door so they feel G‑d’s protection; helping someone to put on tefillin; visiting someone in the hospital and saying a heartfelt prayer with them; helping someone find a job or a place to stay; or simply sitting down to offer a cup of coffee and a listening ear. 

Beloved and respected by the residents on the island, Rabbi Levitin and his wife Hindel have brought their own signature brand of excellence, warmth, enthusiasm, love of G‑d and love of Torah to the Palm Beach community. As Chabad emissaries of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, the Levitins believe in the power and value of every single Jew, and that every single good deed counts as we walk along the path of living Jewishly together.

 

Rebbetzin Hindel Levitin

Program Director

Hindel Levitin was raised in the heart of the Chabad community in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. With her warm, upbeat personality and down-to-earth approach to life, Hindel brought the joy of Judaism to schools and camps across the country as well as in Lugansk, Ukraine, and Melbourne, Australia, before moving with her family on shlichus to Palm Beach, Florida. 

As the program director of The Chabad House on Palm Beach, Hindel shares the joys of Judaism with Jews of all ages in varied ways. Hindel developed an original music and movement program that was replicated across the country, Jewish Music for Kids and Moms!, and her years of experience in early childhood education include teaching music and drama classes in schools in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Florida, making her a sought-after master teacher. Hindel directs the Gary & Mona Davis Daled Arts, a Jewish cultural arts experience for children, their families and friends, and is also the director of the Jewish Women's Circle of Palm Beach, providing social, artistic, and intellectual programming for women. 

In her free time, Hindel mentors high school teens, writes musicals, facilitates book discussions at the Society of the Four Arts, and throws things out because spotlessly clean counters and junk drawers with zero junk spark much joy. 

As the grateful mother of nine, she tries to instill in her children that there is purpose in every moment of every day, so put the other person's needs first, show respect to others, and invite G‑d into the details.

 

Rabbi Mendy Schochet

Dean of The Palm Beach Torah Institute

Rabbi Mendy Schochet was born and raised in London, England, where his parents serve as the spiritual leaders of a large thriving Jewish community.

He studied in the Oholei Torah Talmudic Seminary in Brooklyn, New York, and the Lubavitcher Yeshiva in Los Angeles, California. Rabbi Mendy also served as a teacher and mentor for the Mayanot Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem, Israel. He received his Rabbinical degree under the auspices of Rabbi Zalman Nechemia Goldberg, world-renowned authority on Jewish law and former chief justice of the Jerusalem Rabbinical High Court.

Rabbi Mendy moved to Palm Beach with his wife Shterny and their children to serve as the Dean of the Palm Beach Torah Institute, a project of The Chabad House. He now offers stellar classes on Talmud Tales and the mystical realm of Kabbalah; the JLI flagship series covering Jewish ethics, lore, and law; the outstanding Lecture Series providing first hand accounts of diverse lecturers and speakers and how Torah transformed their lives; and one-on-one Torah study sessions. Rabbi Mendy Schochet is excited to provide a passionate Judaism through Torah and tradition for the whole Palm Beach community.

 

Mrs. Shterny Schochet

Director of Alef Preschool of Palm Beach

For the past ten years, Shterny has been directing and teaching in educational institutions in Midtown Manhattan; Westport, CT;  and Hoboken, NJ. She recently moved to Palm Beach where she is the director at Alef Preschool of Palm Beach, The Lila and Gil Silverman Early Learning Center. 

Shterny is passionate about early childhood education, and is a member of the Chabad Early Childhood Education Network and collaborates with leading educators in the field. She has a keen understanding of the abilities of each individual child and encourages developmentally appropriate materials and activities for each one. In her warm and inviting way she creates an environment where students thrive socially, emotionally, and academically. Educating the next generation isn’t a career for Shterny; it’s a way of life. 

 

Mrs. Lauren Kocen

Office Manager

Lauren Kocen, originally from Richmond, VIrginia, where her family was actively involved with Chabad for 26 years, now serves as the office manager at The Chabad House on Palm Beach. With a background in social media marketing and advertising, and with her outgoing, friendly, and efficient personality, Lauren ensures the smooth operation of The Chabad House’s extensive programming and details. With a genuine enjoyment of adults and children alike, she is an important part of the fabric of Chabad. She currently resides in Delray Beach, Florida, with her husband Jordan and two daughters.