Rabbi Getzel Davis

Rabbi Getzel Davis is the Director of Interfaith Engagement at Harvard University. He brings over a decade of dedicated service to the Harvard community, having previously spent 13 years at Harvard Hillel most recently as Campus Rabbi and Senior Director of Religious and Spiritual Life. In that role, he led the community through periods of profound challenge and growth, most recently leading Harvard Hillel’s crisis response following the events of October 7th 2023. This experience solidified his commitment to fostering resilient communities and facilitating difficult but necessary conversations across lines of difference.

Rabbi Davis’s approach is uniquely informed by a rich tapestry of disciplines. He holds rabbinic ordination and a Master of Jewish Education from Hebrew College, with a deep background in Chassidut and Kabbalah (Jewish mysticism). He is also a certified practitioner of Family Systems Therapy and runs a private couples counseling practice, bringing a relational and therapeutic lens to his community-building work. An accomplished social entrepreneur, he founded Unorthodox Celebrations, which has connected over 4,000 couples with wedding officiants, and ZIVUG Together, a premarital support program for Jewish and interfaith couples.

In his new role, Rabbi Davis is dedicated to building a campus culture at Harvard where students, faculty, and staff from all religious, spiritual, and secular backgrounds can engage one another with curiosity, empathy, and a commitment to shared understanding.