Important Update from the Rabbinic Search Committee

Dear Shir Chadash family,

Although it was unexpected, we recently received an application from Rabbi David Cohen-Henriquez to become our Rabbi effective July 1, 2024. Subsequently, a small group from the Search Committee screened Rabbi David via zoom and then invited him for a zoom interview with the entire Search Committee this past week. Both interviews were very positive and we decided to continue with his candidacy. We are excited to share that Rabbi David, along with his wife Cynthia and his 3 children, will be joining us for a Rabbinic Interview Weekend, June 9-11.

Please review his attached resume and see below a short bio from Rabbi David. Scheduling for the weekend - including a congregational Friday night dinner and Shul Pool at the JCC Shabbat afternoon - is in the works. A tentative schedule will be sent out next week after Shavuot.

Chag Sameach,

Julie Finkelstein Steinhaus and Sandy Lassen

Rabbinic Search Committee Co-chairs

June 9 - 11: Rabbi David Cohen-Henriquez

Currently the Rabbi of B’nai Israel Synagogue in Pensacola, FL, Rabbi David Cohen-Henriquez has applied to be Shir Chadash’s next Rabbi beginning July 1, 2024. Rabbi David is originally from Panama City, Panama, where he belonged to a Conservative shul and attended Jewish Day School throughout his entire schooling.

Rabbi David has been in the rabbinate since 2009 and has experience in diverse types of Conservative congregations, as well as over two decades as a dynamic teacher of Tanakh, Rabbinic Literature, Religious Practice, Jewish History, and Culture. Rabbi David’s strengths include being an eloquent speaker and inspiring storyteller, a compassionate pastoral counselor, and someone who is able to connect with people of all ages and from all walks of life.

Rabbi David is happily married to the love of his life, Cynthia, and they are the proud parents of three children: Elliot (7), Oliver (3) and Alma (11 months). They enjoy traveling, taking photographs of their family, and spending time exploring new places. He is an avid reader of various types of literature, mainly on the topics of history, philosophy, graphic novels, and general culture.