OUR COMMUNITY

24 | NOVEMBER 11 • 2021 

Silver Anniversary

Rabbi Moskowitz celebrates 25 years at Temple Shir Shalom. 

DANNY SCHWARTZ STAFF WRITER

R

abbi Michael 
Moskowitz remembers 
his job interview with 
Temple Shir Shalom in the 
spring of 1995, not even seven 
years into the temple’s existence. 
In the construction process of 
its new building at the time, the 
temple was just a frame, with 
muddy surroundings and the 
cement only just being poured. 
Moskowitz, though, was still 
excited to see it coming togeth-
er in-person.
Moskowitz was warned to 
bring work boots during his 
visit, but in the excitement, 
didn’t really think much of it, 

ruining his dress shoes in the 
process. That moment though, 
Moskowitz says, is reflective of 
his now 25+ years as a rabbi 
there. 
“It was that excitement 
of, ‘I’m getting to watch the 
cement being poured here, 
literally, and I get to put my 
imprint on it.’”
Being able to put his imprint 
on the temple and community 
has been the case since the 
start for Moskowitz, with that 
freedom helping Shir Shalom 
grow from 500 families when 
he arrived to more than 900 
families today.

BUILDING 
RELATIONSHIPS
Thinking back on his fond-
est memories at the temple, 
Moskowitz believes it’s all 
about the connections.
“The relationships that 
have developed over time, 
from the very start being 
welcomed into people’s lives 
and being able to help in the 
most difficult of moments 
and celebrate the most joy-
ous of times, and how those 
relationships have just been 
nurtured is really such a 
blessing,” he says. 
For Moskowitz, the rela-

tionships go beyond the tem-
ple walls, being a part of teen 
missions to Israel since 1996. 
Those trips have grown to 

Rabbi Michael Moskowitz

LEFT: Rabbi Moskowitz is known as a “community connector,” being able to walk into a room and build relationships immediately. 
RIGHT: Rabbi Moskowitz and Rabbi Dannel Schwartz inside the almost-complete Shir Shalom building in 1995. 

TEMPLE SHIR SHALOM

