CBJ's Rabbi and spiritual leader, Rabbi Shimon Hecht, is a native of Brooklyn, having grown up in once predominantly Jewish East Flatbush, where his father, the revered Rabbi J.J. Hecht, of blessed memory, headed a congregation of 1000 families. Rabbi Shimon Hecht relates that his earliest memories are of his father rising daily before dawn and putting coins into each of the several charity boxes on the shelf above the kitchen sink, inculcating into his young mind an appreciation of the importance of daily charity, and the cumulative spiritual value of even small, easily performed good deeds. His parents taught and inspired him as a child, and made sure that he had the best available Jewish education. He studied at Untied Lubavitcher Yeshivas in Brooklyn and The Rabbinical College of America in Morristown, New Jersey, and received his rabbinical ordination on the 11th of Nissan 1982.

Notwithstanding his strong Chabad-Lubavitch background, the Board of Directors of the Modern Orthodox Congregation Bnai Jacob hired Rabbi Hecht, who moved to Park Slope in 1987 with his young family. He has served the community as Rabbi and Spiritual Leader of CBJ since then. Rabbi Hecht has also been Jewish chaplain at Methodist Hospital for the past 17 years.

Rabbi Hecht's sermons are delivered in a unaffected and plain-spoken tone. He regularly stresses that each and every Jew-and indeed each and every human being in the world-is loved and cared for by the Alm-ghty. As a result, each of us is privileged to serve G-d, and to do so with joy and enthusiasm. Flavored with Hassidic lore, each speech is designed to touch the contemporary hearts of the diverse congregation.

Rabbi Hecht's plain-spoken humility sometimes masks his extensive and profound comprehension of Jewish law, history, and mysticism. What is abundantly clear to all, however, is the Rabbi's selfless commitment to the community. In word and deed, for the past twenty years, no job has been too big for the Rabbi to tackle head-on. Often there were few others willing or able to help, but Rabbi Hecht made sure that the job got done, even when he had to do it alone.

Every congregant knows Rabbi Hecht is there for us when we need him-- with a halachic ruling, a friendly word, or a place at the Shabbos or Yom Tov table. What's more, Rabbi Hecht's service does not stop with our congregation. In his preaching and teaching and by his example, he demonstrates that every Jewish soul is a beautiful gem that deserves to be cherished and lovingly polished so that it reflects every possible ray of Divine light.

Rabbi Hecht often points out that his wife, our dear Rebitzen Sarah Hecht, has been his inspiration and helpmate in all his endeavors. Congregation Bnai Jacob is fortunate indeed to have the privilege of working together with both of them and their children as part of the B’nai Jacob family in advancing Yiddishkeit in our Park Slope community.