Dale Polakoff
{{Short description|American Modern Orthodox Rabbi}}
{{Multiple issues|{{BLP sources|date=December 2021}}{{notability|Bio|date=December 2021}}{{Third-party|date=December 2021}}
}}
{{Infobox Jewish leader
| honorific-prefix =
| organisationposition = Teacher
| predecessor = Ephraim Wolf
| semicha = Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary
| honorific-suffix =
| title =
| image = DalePolakoffBMRP.jpg
| caption = Rabbi Dale Polakoff speaking at a Bar Mitzvah
| organisation = North Shore Hebrew Academy
| birth_date = July 23, 1957
| buried =
| name = Dale Polakoff
| nationality = American
| denomination = Modern Orthodox
| residence = Great Neck, NY
| alma_mater = Yeshiva University
| synagogue = Great Neck Synagogue
| synagogueposition = Senior Rabbi
| children = 9
}}
Dale Polakoff (born July 23, 1957) is an American Modern Orthodox Rabbi, teacher and spiritual leader. He has served as the senior rabbi of the Great Neck Synagogue for over 30 years and formerly served as President of the Rabbinical Council of America.
Biography
Dale Polakoff was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on July 23, 1957. He moved to New York for his undergraduate studies at Yeshiva University and graduated in 1979 with a bachelor's degree in psychology. He continued his learning at the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary and was granted semicha (rabbinical ordination) in 1982, after having learned in the Gruss Kollel for several years,{{Cite web|title=Rabbi Polakoff|url=https://www.gns.org/about/staff/rabbi-polakoff/|url-status=live|website=Great Neck Synagogue|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150201053507/http://www.gns.org:80/about/staff/rabbi-polakoff/ |archive-date=2015-02-01 }} then headed by Rabbi Aharon Lichtenstein.{{Cite news|date=October 11, 2011|title=Reflecting on 50 Years of Torah Leadership|work=Yeshiva University News|url=https://blogs.yu.edu/news/reflecting-on-50-years-of-torah-leadership/}}
Polakoff's first rabbinic position was as assistant rabbi at Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun, where he also served as a faculty member of the Rabbi Joseph Lookstein Upper School of Ramaz. In 1988, Polakoff became senior rabbi of the Great Neck Synagogue in Great Neck, Long Island and a faculty member of the North Shore Hebrew Academy.
Polakoff served as president of the Rabbinical Council of America from 2005 to 2007.{{cite web|title=RABBINICAL COUNCIL OF AMERICA PAST PRESIDENTS|url=http://www.rabbis.org/pdfs/PastPresidents.pdf|url-status=live|access-date=14 December 2021|publisher=rabbis.org|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110726112659/http://www.rabbis.org/pdfs/PastPresidents.pdf |archive-date=2011-07-26 }}{{cite web|title=About Us|url=https://rabbis.org/about-us/|url-status=live|access-date=14 December 2021|website=Rabbinical Council of America|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190414203437/https://rabbis.org/about-us/ |archive-date=2019-04-14 }} In September 2005, he testified to the United States Congress representing the Rabbinical Council of America in support of the nomination of John Roberts to the Supreme Court of the United States.{{Cite web|date=September 15, 2005|title=Testimony of Rabbi Dale Polakoff|url=https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/polakoff_testimony_09_15_05.pdf|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170128191354/http://www.judiciary.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/polakoff_testimony_09_15_05.pdf |archive-date=2017-01-28 }}{{Cite web|title=Rabbi Dale Polakoff testifies for John Roberts for SCOTUS|url=https://www.c-span.org/video/?c4588673/user-clip-rabbi-dale-polakoff-testifies-john-roberts-scotus|url-status=live|website=C-SPAN|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211214125635/https://www.c-span.org/video/?c4588673/user-clip-rabbi-dale-polakoff-testifies-john-roberts-scotus |archive-date=2021-12-14 }}
Personal life
Polakoff resides in Great Neck, New York with his wife Ellen née Pinsker. He is a father of 9.