Rabbi Noah Farkas named new Federation of Greater Los Angeles president and CEO

The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles has released the following statement:

After an extensive search, the Board of The Jewish Federation has voted and approved Rabbi Noah Farkas as its next President & CEO. Rabbi Farkas’ official term will begin on January 1, 2022, but he will begin working at the Federation in November. The Federation’s current President & CEO Jay Sanderson will continue to serve in that role through December 31, 2021.

Chair of the search committee Julie Platt expressed, “Leading a search team of committed and visionary leaders in our Jewish community has been an honor. During a 9-month national search, we carefully considered an incredible number of qualified applicants and couldn’t be more excited about our choice in Rabbi Farkas.”

Federation Chair of the Board Albert Praw said, “I am excited to announce the appointment of Noah Farkas as the President & CEO of The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles. Noah is an enormously talented leader who combines a reasoned and principled approach to address the greatest needs facing our community with a heart and soul that is committed to the welfare and safety of the Jewish people. I am enormously confident in Noah’s commitment to the Mission Statement of the Federation and its strategic initiatives, as well as his ability to lead our Federation through its next stage of growth.”

Rabbi Farkas shared, “I am overwhelmed with gratitude to have been selected as the next President & CEO of The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles. The Federation is uniquely positioned to foster a flourishing Jewish community and it is a gift to have been asked to serve. I look forward to many years together moving boldly into a future that is both dynamic and caring, but is most of all filled with a spirit of cooperation. May we all go from strength to strength.”

Rabbi Noah Farkas currently serves at Valley Beth Shalom, the largest Jewish congregation in the San Fernando Valley, where he teaches, preaches, and leads strategic development. Noah is known for his creativity — innovating synagogue life through social action, mental health, and spiritual initiatives.

Noah led a campaign to address homelessness in Los Angeles County, building the largest housing coalition in L.A. history to pass historic legislation and moving $5 billion to build housing and services for the homeless. He currently serves as an appointed commissioner and former Chairperson of the L.A. Homelessness Services Authority, governing the strategy to end homelessness. He also currently serves as the chair of the Finance Contracts and Grants committee, overseeing a $770 million budget.

Noah publishes widely and his work is often cited in the Los Angeles Times, New York Times, TIME, Newsweek, Reuters, and the AP. He appears regularly on NPR as a rising voice of faith leadership. Weekly, Noah writes, Torah from Within, a modern take on our ancient text shared with a global list of nearly 10,000 people.

He lives in Encino with his wife Sarah and their four children where they play, garden, and make artisanal ice cream.