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[Pages H5082-H5083]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
RECOGNIZING RABBI DR. STEVEN MOSS OF B'NAI ISRAEL REFORM TEMPLE
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New
York (Mr. Zeldin) for 5 minutes.
[[Page H5083]]
Mr. ZELDIN. Mr. Speaker, it is an honor to rise today recognizing
Rabbi Dr. Steven Moss of B'nai Israel Reform Temple, who is retiring
after serving his community for over 47 years.
Rabbi Moss became the first ordained rabbi for B'nai Israel in June
of 1974 and has honorably served his community ever since.
Rabbi Moss' service to his community and his accomplishments are
nothing less than extraordinary. He has been the chair of the Suffolk
County Human Rights Commission since 1992 and has served as the
chaplain to the Suffolk County Police Department, with the rank of
deputy chief of chaplains, since 1986.
Additionally, Rabbi Moss is the co-chair of the Suffolk County Anti-
Bias Task Force; chair of the Islip Town Anti-Bias Task Force in the
battle against anti-Semitism and other bias crimes; director and
founder of STOP/BIAS, an educational program for people who have
committed hate and bias crimes; former president of the Suffolk County
Board of Rabbis; board member on the New York Board of Rabbis and the
Center for the Holocaust, Diversity and Human Understanding at the
Selden campus of Suffolk Community College; founder of the Jewish
Hospital Referral Service; pastoral care coordinator of the Suffolk
Partners in Dignity; hospital chaplain at Good Samaritan Hospital,
Brookhaven Memorial Hospital, and Southside Hospital; and is the
longest sitting member of the Islip Town Board of Ethics.
I have known Rabbi Moss since I was a little kid. Nearly 27 years
ago, he was the rabbi who presided over the bar mitzvah service for me
and, this November, will be the rabbi for my daughter's b'not mitzvah.
He has left a lasting impact on so many lives, including my own.
One of the things I love the most about Rabbi Moss is how he visits
people in hospitals, nursing homes, and elsewhere all the time, every
day. If you think you have lost touch with Rabbi Moss and it has been
20 years since you have last spoken to him, even if you weren't really
that close with him back in the day, if he finds out that you are at a
local hospital, he will come and visit you and pray for you.
His family services during the High Holy Days are amazing for the
kids. He involves everyone. It is not easy to get every single kid in a
temple totally engaged, all in, without much effort, but Rabbi Moss has
charisma that is second to none.
Most importantly, he is simply a very kind, warm, and decent human
being who loves everyone.
Rabbi Moss is now en route to Poland, where he will bike 60 miles
from the gates of Auschwitz to the Jewish Community Center in Krakow,
which is also known as the ``Ride for the Living,'' in honor of the
millions of people who were murdered during the Holocaust.
Rabbi Moss and about 300 other bikers will be biking the entire 60
miles in one day to raise money for the Jewish Community Center in
Krakow, which supports the growing Jewish population there and in the
surrounding areas.
When asked about his upcoming experience, Rabbi Moss stated he
believes the experience will be overwhelming but that he is excited to
witness the growth of the Jewish diaspora.
On Sunday, B'Nai Israel held a going-away party for Rabbi Moss, where
they gifted him with a bronze plaque signifying that the sanctuary
within the synagogue will be named after him. Rabbi Moss deserves
nothing less after having served over 47 years at the synagogue.
He has been an incredible role model and mentor to both my family and
me, and he has continued to be a remarkable role model for thousands of
others.
I look to him as a community leader, an inspiration, and a teacher,
one with an amazing ability to connect with anyone. I would like to
thank Rabbi Moss for all he has done for our community, and I wish him
nothing but the best in his retirement.
____________________