David Polish

Rabbi Daniel Polish has been a congregational rabbi for many years, most recently serving as spiritual leader of Congregation Shir Chadash of the Hudson River Valley in Lagrangeville, New York. Born in Ithaca, New York, he received his B.A. in Philosophy from Northwestern University, was ordained at Hebrew Union College, and earned his Ph.D. in History of Religion from Harvard University, writing his dissertation on "The Flood Myth in the Traditions of Israel and India."Throughout the years he...See more

Rabbi Daniel Polish has been a congregational rabbi for many years, most recently serving as spiritual leader of Congregation Shir Chadash of the Hudson River Valley in Lagrangeville, New York. Born in Ithaca, New York, he received his B.A. in Philosophy from Northwestern University, was ordained at Hebrew Union College, and earned his Ph.D. in History of Religion from Harvard University, writing his dissertation on "The Flood Myth in the Traditions of Israel and India."Throughout the years he has been involved in interfaith dialogue at the highest levels on behalf of the Jewish community. He was part of a team of prominent scholars of religion that met with Muslim religious leaders throughout South Asia for the purpose of promoting interfaith understanding. He participates in ongoing dialogues with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and with the National Council of Churches, and served as chair of the International Jewish Commission for Interreligious Consultation (IJCIC), the official interlocutor of the Jewish community with the Vatican and other international religious bodies.Rabbi Polish is the author of several previous books: Bringing the Psalms to Life, Keeping Faith with the Psalms, and Talking About God: Exploring the Meaning of Religious Life with Kierkegaard, Buber, Tillich and Heschel. He is co-editor of two volumes with Dr. Eugene Fisher: The Formation of Social Policy in the Catholic and Jewish Traditions and Liturgical Foundations of Social Policy in the Catholic and Jewish Traditions. He serves on the editorial board of The Journal of Reform Judaism and of Current Dialogue, published by the World Council of Churches. He lives in the Hudson Valley with his wife, Gail Hirschenfang, and has children and grandchildren scattered around the country. See less