Foxman Torah Institute Dedicates New Building in Cherry Hill With Mezuzah Affixing Ceremony

After more than a decade in the making, the Foxman Torah Institute (FTI) celebrated the dedication of its new 47,000-square-foot building in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, on September 7, 2025. The chanukas habayis (dedication ceremony) drew the broader Orthodox community of South Jersey together — and began, as every Jewish building should, with a mezuzah on the doorpost.

The full story was reported by Maayan Gutbezahl in the Jewish Voice of Southern New Jersey.

How Cherry Hill's Foxman Torah Institute Opened Its New Yeshiva Building With a Chanukas Habayis and Mezuzah Ceremony

The event was a well-attended simchah for the South Jersey Orthodox community, featuring a buffet dinner, children's programming, and a live performance by traditional Jewish musicians Baruch Levine and Hershy Weinberger.

Rabbi Akiva Grunblatt and Rabbi Dovid Harris, heads of Yeshivas Chofetz Chaim in Queens, delivered divrei bracha (words of blessing). Rabbi Malkiel Kotler, head of Beth Medrash Govoha in Lakewood — one of the largest yeshivos in the world — attended to speak about the importance of Torah study.

Construction on the building began in January 2022. The project faced significant challenges throughout, and the certificate of occupancy arrived just two days before the yeshiva was set to open — on August 22, 2025. Rabbi Yisrael Davidowitz, head of school, spoke candidly about the journey: "Lack of funds never held up this project for even one day throughout the entire building phase. We are beneficiaries of almost daily miracles."

After the ribbon-cutting, Rabbi Yoel Max, executive vice president of FTI, affixed the mezuzah at the entrance to the building. Attendees then poured inside, where Torah scrolls were carried from the aron hakodesh in celebratory dancing to traditional Jewish music. A fitting start for a building dedicated to Torah study and community growth.

What a Mezuzah Means at the Entrance of a House of Torah

A mezuzah contains the words of the Shema: The declaration of Hashem's unity that anchors Jewish life and learning. Placed on the right doorpost of a Jewish space, it marks that threshold as one where Torah values are upheld and Hashem's presence is acknowledged.

For a yeshiva, that declaration is especially fitting. Every student who passes through the door does so under the same words that sit at the heart of everything they study inside.

The Scroll That Completes the Mitzvah

A chanukas habayis is not complete without a kosher mezuzah and a mezuzah is not kosher without a properly written scroll inside. The parchment must be written by a certified sofer on proper klaf and carefully checked for errors. The case and the ceremony are meaningful; the scroll is the mitzvah.

Kosher Mezuzah offers scrolls written by certified soferim, double-checked by expert magihim, and backed by OU endorsement — with every scroll traceable through a unique QR code so you know exactly what you're placing on your doorpost.