Rooted in Chassidic tradition. Built for this block.
The Rebbe sent emissaries to every corner of the globe, and for over 70 years they've carried one message: every human being matters, every Jew matters, and every act of goodness and kindness counts. Together, we can make this world a dwelling place for G-d — the garden that it is meant to be.
The core of every Jew's identity — the "Pintele Yid" — remains completely intact regardless of outside appearances or behavior, as a Jew "does not want and cannot be separated from G‑d." The Rebbe
Meet Rabbi Yisroel and Rebbetzin Devorie
Rabbi Yisroel and Devorie Botnick serve as the Chabad emissaries (shluchim) for Prospect Lefferts Gardens, having established the Chabad House to serve the neighborhood's growing Jewish community. Like emissary couples in Chabad houses worldwide, they open their home for Shabbat meals, holiday celebrations, and Torah study, welcoming Jews of every background and level of observance.
Rabbi Yisroel was born and raised in Springfield, Massachusetts. He attended the Lubavitcher Yeshiva Academy for elementary school, continued through high school at the Rabbinical College of America in Morristown, New Jersey, and went on to advanced study at Oholei Torah in Crown Heights. Along the way, he took part in a range of Jewish outreach programs, including at Chabad of UMass and Hampshire College, before receiving rabbinic ordination through 770 Tomchei Temimim.
Rebbetzin Devorie grew up in the vibrant Chassidic community of Crown Heights — within the Rebbe's daled amos — and attended Beis Rivkah schools from elementary through high school, followed by seminary in Montreal, Canada. Over the years, she has worked in summer camp programs serving unaffiliated Jewish children.
Married in 5761 (2000), the Botnicks live in Brooklyn with their seven children — and together, they've made the Chabad House on Lincoln Rd a center of Jewish activity for the whole neighborhood.
No dues. No prerequisites. Just an open door.
Chabad philosophy holds that every Jewish person, regardless of background, affiliation, or level of observance, has an unbreakable connection to their heritage. Our role is simply to make that connection easier to access — through a warm meal, an accessible class, or a simple mitzvah done with joy.
We're proud to bring that philosophy to one of Brooklyn's most creative, diverse, and fast-growing neighborhoods — meeting people exactly where they are, on the stoops and sidewalks of PLG.
Three ideas that shape everything we do
Every Jew Counts
No one is "too secular," "too unaffiliated," or "too new to this" to belong.
Joy Over Judgment
Judaism is meant to be lived with warmth and joy — we bring that spirit to every class, meal, and holiday.
Rooted in Place
We're neighbors first — showing up in Prospect Park, on Flatbush Ave, and on every stoop in between.