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Rabbi David Novak (He/him)
Rabbi
Reform
Temple Sinai 73251 Hovley Ln West
Palm Desert, California 92260
United States

About

I became a rabbi in 2007 and found myself working for an unaffiliated congregation in Vermont, followed by two interim postings in Florida and am now in my congregation in Palm Desert, CA where I am in the middle of a multi-year contract. The congregation hired me knowing that I was gay. Since joining the congregation I have begun an outreach group to our community that meets regularly for meals, socializing, the pride parade and special worship opportunities. GLBTQ are treated with the respect and dignity they deserve as children of God and as human beings. I officiate at GLBTQ weddings; more can be learned about my approach to weddings at jewishweddingsinthedesert.com. I hope that people find in me a rabbi with great humility that sees people created in the image of God.

Listing Details

Clergy answered "Yes" to the following

  • Trained on LGBTQ+ identities within past five years
  • Experience officiating conversions for transgender and nonbinary individuals with a sensitivity to the wide range of relationships to gender and embodiment that transgender and nonbinary individuals may have
  • Experience in end-of-life care for LGBTQ+ individuals
  • Familiar with gender-expansive Hebrew liturgical and linguistic options
  • Approaches the presence of LGBTQ+ people as the norm rather than an exception in Jewish communal life
  • Experience celebrating LGBTQ+ specific life-cycle rituals such as coming out and renaming
  • Person-centered and LGBTQ+ positive approach to Jewish law and tradition
  • Comfortable consistently using they/them pronouns and neopronouns
  • Speaks or writes regularly on LGBTQ+ themes
  • Experience in pastoral/spiritual care of LGBTQ+ individuals
  • Experience officiating LGBTQ+ weddings

Clergy answered "I'm Still Learning" to the following

  • Experience officiating gender-expansive b-mitzvah