Mark Schiftan

Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
Since moving to Nashville, Tennessee and joining The Temple: Congregation Ohabai Shalom two years ago, we never cease to be amazed by Rabbi Mark Schiftan and his team at this shul we are proud to call home. Rabbi Schiftan is a genuinely warm person with an engaging personality and a great sense of humor. What I find most inspiring is his teaching by example. This includes providing shelter for homeless women at our shul every Monday night; reaching out to the imam of a new mosque that faced prejudice from its neighbors and arranging for our congregations to visit each others’ places of worship; and devoting this whole year to programs on mental health after a member’s suicide. The list could go on for pages. The Temple is the shul my father would have loved in Philadelphia. It’s an honor to be a part of this congregation. In 2012, I finally found my spiritual home after losing both parents and moving to Nashville for a new job.
— Michael Ginsberg
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— Joel Brown, Forward board chair
