WHO WE ARE
Chabad Sunset Park is a new local "spiritual startup" aiming to create an inclusive and vibrant Jewish community within the Sunset Park and Greenwood Heights neighborhoods.
We are creating a welcoming community for all Jews, regardless of background, affiliation, prior knowledge or level of observance. We host educational classes and discussions, Holiday programs, Shabbat dinners and more.
Our programs are designed to make everyone feel engaged and comfortable. Our goal is to bring a sense of community and meaning in the lives of anyone who joins. We hope you join us and look forward to connecting with you soon!
Rabbi Yanky & Chana Hecht
Yanky & Chana spent their childhood and young adult lives assisting their parents in their community and social works.
Chana was born and raised in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, and assisted her parents Rabbi Eli and Rachel Kornfeld, in establishing a flourishing Jewish community in Hunterdon County, New Jersey. Chana co-directed community programs for Jewish life including Spreading Smiles - a lead social service for seniors, and has been in lead roles in multiple Jewish day camps across the US.
Yanky was born and raised in Park Slope and assisted his parents Rabbi Shimon and Sarah Hecht, the founders of Chabad of Brownstone Brooklyn in their communal work. Yanky has been involved in arranging Jewish outreach programs in countries across the globe, including Mexico, Spain, Belgium, Israel, and Italy.
Chana and Yanky seek to have an open home in Sunset Park welcoming all Jews, regardless of affiliation, prior knowledge or level of observance. Both share a love of playing guitar and hiking, but most of all enjoy meeting new people, connecting with others, and helping those who could use a hand.
In addition to co-directing Chabad Sunset Park, Chana oversees programs and initiatives for the Jewish student body at NYU. Yanky serves as Program Coordinator of the Released Time Jewish Hour program, the largest provider of Jewish education for children who attend Public Schools across NYC.
Yanky received his Rabbinical ordination at the West Coast Rabbinical Seminary in Los Angeles, California in 2019.
Chana and Yanky married in April 2024.
ABOUT CHABAD
The Philosophy
Chabad-Lubavitch is considered to be the most dynamic force in Jewish life today.
The word "Chabad" is a Hebrew acronym for the three intellectual faculties of chochmah (wisdom), binah (understanding), and da’at (knowledge). The movement’s system of Jewish philosophy teaches the understanding and recognition of the Creator, the role and purpose of creation, and the importance and unique mission of each creature. This philosophy guides a person to refine and govern his or her every action and feeling.
The word "Lubavitch" is the name of the town in White Russia (now Belarus) where the movement was based for more than a century. Appropriately, the word Lubavitch in Russian means "the city of brotherly love." The name Lubavitch conveys the essence of Chabad philosophy: that every human being is worthy of love, and it is our responsibility to be there for other Jews with unconditional love.
The Movement & Leadership
The movement is guided by the teachings of its seven leaders ("Rebbes"), beginning in the eighteenth century. The seventh leader was the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, of righteous memory. The Rebbe guided post-Holocaust Jewry to create the most thriving Jewish network across the globe. Today, over 5,000 full-time emissary families (2,000 in the United States) direct more than 3,500 Jewish institutions dedicated to the welfare of the Jewish people worldwide.