[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 107 (Tuesday, June 25, 2019)]
[House]
[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.

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