A  soloist with the New Israeli Opera has hit the right note with the Hove Hebrew Congregation, where he is taking over the pulpit.

Rabbi Samuel de Beck Spitzer, 44, is a professional baritone who has performed principal roles in five different languages under the baton of conductors including Zubin Mehta, Justus Frantz, Christoph Poppen and Daniel Oren. He has also served a Lisbon congregation as minister.

Born in north London to French and Indian parents, he studied music before and after achieving his rabbinical qualification.

For the Hove congregation, the rabbi “embodies exactly the credentials we were seeking and fulfils our challenging expectations”, said Stanley Cohen, its chair.

“I am delighted we have a forward-thinking rabbi with the enthusiasm and essential communicative approach to grow a vibrant congregation. He is keen to establish the ideal infrastructure to encourage young families to [join] our membership.”

Rabbi de Beck Spitzer said he intended “to create a welcoming haven for those near and afar. In this era of globalism, I feel it essential that we think beyond conventional boundaries.”

The 180-member shul was previously served by Rabbi Vivian Silverman from 1995 to 2016.