A funeral service was held in Los Angeles on Sunday, 23 March. Burial followed at Mount Carmel Cemetery in Commerce, California.
Rabbi Montag co-founded the L.A. congregation, Ohr Chadash, with Reb Carlebach who granted him smicha, along with Rav Wasserman. Ohr Chadash was the predecessor havurah to today's Happy Minyan. Rabbi Montag served as Reb Carlebach's emissary in Los Angeles. He possessed a thorough knowledge of the unseen universe, teaching college-level physics at several colleges in L.A. (most recently East L.A. College) and teaching Kaballah avocationally. He was knowledgable in many areas of science and technology - he was deeply involved in the digital media revolution, reporting from the annual Consumer Electronics Show, but he shunned mobile phones out of concern about their carcinogenic properties. Ironically, at the time of his heart attack at home, he was not able to make it to a landline to dial 911.
Rabbi Montag has passed on his legacy to many former college students. His family survivors include his first-wife, Bracha and daughter, Esther, now of Montpellier, Idaho; his sons Michael of Arcata, California (Humboldt County) and Daniel of Los Angeles. David's second wife of 16 years, Olga Volozova (whose wedding Reb Carlebach officiated), and David's step-son, Daniel, of Hollywood.
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