Looking for a Chabad House for Teens Near Lakewood, NJ?
The Bunker of Light isn't an official Chabad house — it's something close: a Chabad family's open home twenty minutes from Lakewood, where teens and young adults get the farbrengens, the warmth, and the always-open door, with zero pressure.
The Chabad-house feeling, in a family home
Yosef Shidler grew up Chabad, and the Bunker runs on the Chabad-house playbook: an open door, a full table, singing and farbrengens that go late, and the deep belief that every single Jew belongs — no matter how they dress, what they believe right now, or how long it's been since they last walked into a shul.
The difference is that this isn't an institution. It's the Shidlers' actual home in Toms River, with their kids and their doodles, dedicated to Jewish teens and young adults — with clear house rules, separate boys' and girls' programs, and ongoing guidance from rabbanim.
Open to every kind of Jewish teen
Chabad, Litvish, Sephardi, Modern, formerly frum, unaffiliated — the table doesn't sort. Teens from Lakewood mesivtas sit next to teens who haven't kept Shabbos in years, and both get the same plate and the same respect. Weekly Shabbos meals, farbrengens, one-on-one mentoring, job help, crisis support connected to licensed professionals, and beds for Shabbos or a rough week — all free.
Twenty minutes from Lakewood
We're at 36 Bunker Hill Drive in Toms River, about twenty minutes down Route 9 from Lakewood — rides and carpools usually work out, so reach out on WhatsApp or call 718.781.6405 and we'll help you or your teen get here. And if what you're really looking for is an official Chabad house or shliach in Lakewood itself, reach out anyway — helping you find the right door is part of the job.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Bunker of Light an official Chabad house?
No — we're an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit family home, founded by a Chabad family and guided by rabbanim. The spirit is very Chabad-house; the address is our own.
Is it only for Chabad teens?
Not at all. Every Jewish teen and young adult is welcome — every background, every community, every level of observance, including none.
Do you run anything in Lakewood itself?
Our home base is Toms River and that's where everything happens — but a big share of our regulars come from Lakewood every week, and we help with rides.
One message is enough to start.
Reach out for yourself, your child, a student, or a friend — quietly, warmly, and always free.