A local organization is raising money to convert a vacant Troy church building into a Jewish community center, designed to serve those who don’t have religious facilities nearby.

There are at least 800 Jewish families in Troy and Rochester Hills, said Rabbi Menachem Caytak of the Chabad Jewish Center of Troy.

While there are many synagogues and community centers in West Bloomfield, Bloomfield and other Oakland County communities, this area is underserved, he said.

“We’re here to serve the people who don’t have anything,” he said.

This will be the first Jewish community center east of Woodward Avenue in Oakland County.

A number of Jewish families in Troy and Rochester Hills are “unengaged,” he said, as they don’t belong to any synagogue and many want to reconnect with their faith.

The Troy chapter of Chabad, an international organization dedicated to offering Jewish events, religious instruction and more, bought a former church building at 4050 Coolidge Highway, near Wattles Road in Troy.

The organization has raised $2.7 million of its $3.7 million goal to buy and refurbish the building, including a commercial kitchen that will allow it to prepare meals for the needy.

A group of benefactors will give $3 for every dollar donated from July 6-8. To donate or learn more, visit https://buildjewishtroy.org/.

The organization is operating out of a 1,600-square-foot rented storefront in Auburn Hills. The move to the 6,100-square-foot church building, which sits on about 3.5 acres, will allow growth in programming, Caytak said.

The new community center’s amenities will include:

• A sanctuary for services and celebrations

• Space for a preschool

• Modern classrooms for Hebrew school for children and adult education

• Flexible event spaces for community gatherings and lifecycle events

• Enhanced facilities for youth programs and social services.