Rabbi Shaya and Mushky Gourarie arrived in Fredericksburg in April of 2024 to establish Chabad, serving both the students at University of Mary Washington and the local Jewish community. Born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, and hailing from a family of Jewish educators, Rabbi Gourarie graduated from Detroit’s Chabad Yeshivah, moving on to the Rabbinical College of America and further advanced study at the Chabad Lubavitch international headquarters in New York. Mushky grew up within Michigan’s Russian-Jewish community and completed her studies in Israel. Among other roles, she has worked for Chabad in Anchorage, Alaska. “We are excited and energized to make Fredericksburg our home, bringing the joy of Judaism to families and individuals in the city and nearby counties” Rabbi Gourarie said. “We are honored to be directing the Maxine and Carl D. Silver Chabad Jewish Center — the address for everything Jewish.