Community
New North London names prospective successor to Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg
Congregants are being asked to vote to approve the appointment of Rabbi Danny Nevins
December 18, 2025 16:20
Congregants are being asked to vote to approve the appointment of Rabbi Danny Nevins
December 18, 2025 16:20After a lengthy search lasting around a year, the leaders of New North London Synagogue have chosen the man they hope will become their new senior rabbi.
Rabbi Danny Nevins, who previously held a senior role at the Jewish Theology Seminary, the Conservative rabbinic academy in New York, has been chosen to succeed Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg, the Finchley-based Masorti congregation’s spiritual leader for 38 years.
Now congregants of New North London, one of the country’s largest synagogues, will be asked to approve their council’s choice in a vote that will remain open till January 8.
Rabbi Nevins, who visited NNLS in Octover, said, “I have been so deeply touched and impressed by the vitality, diversity, and warmth of New North London synagogue. I recognise this is a major moment of transition for this wonderful community – which is a leading light in the Masorti movement in the UK and across the world – and feel honoured and humbled to have received the support of the senior rabbi recruitment steering group and council.”
NNLS co-chairs Vicky Fox and Mark Flenner said: “We believe Rabbi Nevins brings a unique combination of outstanding leadership, great warmth and personability, intellect and curiosity, Jewish scholarship, deep and loving connection to Israel, experience of managing change, and commitment to the development of all our services and the
diversity of our community.
“We are excited to recommend him to our community as the right candidate to guide NNLS’ through its next phase of life.”
Rabbi Wittenberg – who is retiring at the end of the year but will continue as the Masorti movement’s senior rabbi – said, “I am thrilled that Rabbi Nevins has been recommended as senior rabbi. He had a wonderful reputation for caring deeply about the students when he was dean of the Jewish Theological Seminary.
“He brings a love of learning and a deep commitment to traditional Judaism, together with an inspiring record of engaging in the issues of the day. He will be a brilliant leader of our great rabbinic team. It will be a privilege for me to learn from him and support his work in whatever ways may be appropriate. This is great news for the community I have loved and done my best to nurture over 40 years.”
Before becoming its first rabbi, Rabbi Wittenberg served NNLS as youth worker.
Apart from JTS, Rabbi Nevins -– who has a degree in Middle Eastern history from Harvard University – has led the Golda Och Academy in West Orange, New Jersey, as head of school; and Adat Shalom Synagogue in Farmington Hills, Michigan, as senior rabbi. He is a member of the committee of Jewish law and standards of the Rabbinical Assembly, the Conservative movement’s rabbinic body.
His book Torah and Technology: Circuits, Cells and the Sacred Path was published last year by Izzun Books, the publishing enterprise set up by Rabbi Adam Zagoria-Moffet, the rabbi of St Albans Masorti Synagogue and director of strategy for Masorti Judaism.
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