Inside the Special Children’s Center’s Beautiful All-New Vicki & Joseph Safra Brooklyn Center
Eleven years after opening its doors in Brooklyn, the Special Children’s Center embarks on a powerful new chapter, expanding its services in a breathtaking new facility designed to serve children and families on an even greater level.
There are moments in the life of a community that feel transformative, when walls rise not just to house programs, but to hold dreams. The new Brooklyn home of the Special Children’s Center is one of those moments.
Founded by visionary leaders Chaya Bender and Jenine Shwekey, the Special Children’s Center has always stood for one powerful promise: no family navigating special needs should ever walk alone. Now, with the opening of a breathtaking new building in Brooklyn, that promise is expanding in space, in services, and in heart.
From the moment you step inside, it is clear this is no ordinary facility. Sunlight pours into thoughtfully designed classrooms. Wide hallways feel warm and welcoming. Every detail reflects dignity, safety, and care.
There is a magnificent art room where children can build skills and confidence. A stunning music room where melodies become a language of expression, because music so often reaches where words cannot. A professional recording studio where voices can be heard and celebrated. A fully equipped baking studio, designed with child-height counters so small hands can measure, mix, and create with independence and pride.
A spacious dining room will host wholesome, family-style meals prepared in the Special Children’s Center’s brand-new kitchens. There are classrooms for preschoolers and elementary students, spaces for services, and areas for adults in the program. A shower room and spa room offer both comfort and practical relief, easing the daily load for parents and allowing children to return home refreshed and relaxed.
Parents often wonder: Will my child be cared for with dignity? Will they feel proud to be here? Inside these walls, the answer is yes.
The Special Children’s Center has always been known for showing up when families need it most. Whenever school is closed, the Special Children’s Center is open. Legal holidays. Jewish holidays. Any day public school or yeshiva closes its doors, the Special Children’s Center opens wide.
The respite programs are filled with laughter, warmth, and genuine joy. Designed to care for the children during a family’s busiest hours, these programs restore balance. Parents often share: “My child wakes up excited to go.” And perhaps even more telling: “For the first time, I can breathe.”
While the Brooklyn Special Children’s Center already offers a robust range of services, such as after-school programming, Sunday programs including a special teen boys’ program, holiday programming, preschool and elementary classes, adult services, and support for children across a full range of diagnoses, this new building represents something greater. It represents growth. It represents capacity. It represents deeper opportunity.
As Jenine Shwekey often shares, the Center’s mission is simple but profound: to truly be there for families on every level. Chaya Bender emphasizes that special needs care is not a part-time commitment. “Families don’t get days off,” she says. “So neither do we.” That philosophy is woven into the very structure of the new Brooklyn building.
What makes this expansion so meaningful is not just the size of the space, but the spirit inside it. The Special Children’s Center does not see diagnoses first. It sees children: with personalities, humor, talents, and tremendous potential.
In the music room, a shy child may find her voice. In the gym, a hesitant teen may discover strength. In the baking studio, a young boy may beam with pride over perfectly frosted cupcakes. And in every room, families find reassurance: We are not alone.
This beautiful new building was thoughtfully designed as a work of love by Margalit Lankry Design as a gift to our children and their families. It is a testament to what becomes possible when a community comes together with extraordinary compassion and shared responsibility toward families navigating special needs. Heartfelt gratitude goes to Harry Adjmi, Alex Adjmi, Richie Dweck, Elliot Tawil, Izzy Nahum and Jack Scaba, who worked tirelessly to help ensure this vision became a reality. With deep appreciation, we thank Jack Chehebar and Marilyn Chehebar for dedicating our brand-new building, and the Safra family for dedicating our Brooklyn Center. There are no words adequate to express the enormous impact of your incredible generosity. Because of you, our children will grow, thrive, and shine in a space built just for them.
As the doors prepare to open, the excitement is palpable. Staff members are eager. Families are counting down the days. This Brooklyn building is more than an expansion of services. It is an expansion of possibility. It stands as a promise to every parent navigating the complex journey of raising a child with special needs: We are here. We are open. We are ready. We will walk beside you, on holidays, on ordinary Tuesdays, on challenging days, and on days of celebration. Because every child deserves a beautiful experience. Every parent deserves support. And no family should ever have to do this alone.
Reach out to get involved! 2990 Ave U 718-382-0099 dinag@thecenterny.org.
Special Ride is coming up soon! Join the magic! specialride@thecenternj.org
