Flora Mae Statler, who founded Surprise, Arizona, on a single square mile of farmland in 1938, would be surprised indeed to see its newly established Chabad presence.

The city’s name came about when Flora Mae commented that she “would be surprised if the town ever amounted to much.”

Now a suburb of Phoenix, Surprise has experienced rapid growth over the past few decades, earning a spot on the list of “Top 25 Growth Cities in America” every year since 2020.

As the town’s population ballooned to 160,000, its Jewish denizens climbed to around 3,000, and the need for a local Chabad presence became evident.

Rabbi Shlomy and Batya Ceitlin, along with their son Mendel, recently moved to Surprise to fill that need.

Arriving just before the High Holidays of 2024, the Ceitlins have already begun building a warm and welcoming Jewish community, hosting holiday programs, Shabbat dinners, Torah classes, and establishing a new Hebrew school.

Their passion is rooted in the desire to reach every Jew and strengthen Jewish life in the area, embracing all ages and backgrounds with boundless love and warmth.