On May 20, 2007, the congregation overwhelmingly approved the Board's unanimous decision to engage Rabbi David Novak as the new rabbi of Israel Congregation.
Rabbi Novak's Sermons
RABBI DAVID NOVAK is a graduate of the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Los Angeles, from which he received his Masters of Arts in Hebrew Letters in May 2005 and his ordination on May 13, 2007. As a native of Manchester, New Hampshire, he is extremely excited to be returning to another Manchester in New England!
During his years at HUC-JIR, Rabbi Novak served congregations in Washington State and Alaska, at the Jewish Home in San Francisco, and as rabbinic advisor to the Occidental College Hillel. These professional experiences complement years of active participation in synagogue life at a lay-led Conservative Minyan in Los Angeles, as a member of various synagogue committees and boards, and as a participant in Jewish communal activities. His religious practice can be characterized as pluralistic, bridging Conservative, Reform, and Reconstructionist streams. Rabbi Novak is comfortable with multiple worship styles, as well as the diversity of our congregation's backgrounds. He is committed to being a strong pastoral presence for the community.
Prior to his deciding to become a rabbi, Rabbi Novak was principal of Novak Communications, a strategic communications consulting firm founded in 1994. In the early part of his career, he served as Director of Communications for the Office of the Mayor in Los Angeles, and also served as the Executive Director of two non-profit organizations in Boston. Rabbi Novak is a 1984 graduate of the University of Washington, Seattle where he concentrated his studies in political science, English, and writing.
E-mail Rabbi Novak
Rabbi Emeritus Michael Cohen
