“I am both proud and humbled to serve Temple Emanu-El, and through it the wider community. This recognition really should go to my congregation, its tireless staff, its extraordinary lay leadership and its wonderfully devoted membership, some of whom are present tonight and I thank them for being here.” – Rabbi Joshua Davidson
March 9, 2023
Temple Emanu-El is proud to announce that Peter and Mary Kalikow Senior Rabbinic Chair Joshua Davidson is one of ten influential New Yorkers chosen to receive a 2023 OTTY (Our Town Thanks You) Award. Rabbi Davidson’s family, as well as members of the Temple Emanu-El Board of Trustees and staff, joined him at the ceremony as he accepted this honor.
This year’s OTTY Awards were presented on March 7 at Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church in a ceremony hosted by Cheryl Willis of NY1. For over two decades, the OTTY Awards have recognized important people who make a difference through volunteerism and leadership. Other 2023 honorees include Mount Sinai CEO Dr. Kenneth Davis, Brennan Center for Justice Chief Counsel Frederick A.O. Schwarz, Jr. and the Honorable Carolyn Maloney.
“The Local Paper for the Upper East Side,” Our Town is one of seventeen weekly newspapers and websites published by Straus News. Our Town has featured Temple Emanu-El recently, from profiles of renowned members to pieces on our temple’s famous architecture, highlighting both Emanu-El and its community as important contributors to the city’s spiritual landscape.
By including Rabbi Davidson on this year’s list of noteworthy honorees, Our Town recognizes his place within that overall contribution. To his congregants, the neighborhood and the city, Rabbi Davidson serves one of its most significant roles, providing valuable guidance as a leading voice in the Jewish community.
The Board of Trustees, members and staff of Temple Emanu-El congratulate Rabbi Davidson on this honor and thank him for his tireless dedication to our community, the Upper East Side and the City of New York.
“One of the great joys of my Rabbinate is passing people on the street who I’ve met through my work. Many of them are temple members, but just as many are not. Each meeting, each wave, each smile is a reminder that though we are a big city of global import, we are also a small town of people who care about one another. That’s our Upper East Side. And I’m glad it’s where I serve and live.”
