After more than a year of searching, fundraising and planning, Chabad of Greater South Bay opened its Gan Torah Preschool in a new building in Mountain View this week, with space to accommodate 45 children.

“Until this year, the preschool shared the space with the Chabad center [in Palo Alto] — we had programs and synagogue and school and everything else in one place,” said Rabbi Yosef Levin, co-director of the center. “We never advertised because the school was always full … and it didn’t have a place of its own to thrive and grow.”

The center raised more than $1.5 million in the past year, using the funds to purchase and renovate the building, which had an existing use permit as a preschool but needed some work, said the rabbi.

The school now has openings for new students, he added. Those interested should contact Esti Rosenblatt, director of education, at (650) 390-0100.

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