December 1, 2005

Morris “Moe” Stein

Moe Stein was born in Hamilton, Ontario, the only child of Polish immigrant parents who arrived in Canada on December 31, 1920, landing in Saint John, New Brunswick. His father, a watchmaker, eventually opened a small watchmaking and jewelry store in Hamilton. Moe grew up in an immigrant Jewish community, was active in Jewish youth activities from the age of seven, and belonged to a synagogue where his mother served as president of the ladies auxiliary. He was a graduate of AZA and enjoyed photography, reading, and Jewish club life. He earned a degree in chemical engineering from the University of Toronto in 1946 but, finding the field unfulfilling, returned to earn a degree in social work.

Stein's career in Jewish communal service began as a BBYO director, followed by program work at a large conservative congregation in Toronto. He then served as director of the Jewish community council in Edmonton, Alberta, for seven years, and spent ten years in Portland, Oregon. He married his wife, Lil, in 1955; she was originally from Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. In 1976 he was recruited to Dallas, beginning work in 1977. He found a Jewish community still living down the Kennedy assassination and divided along congregational and Zionist lines, very different from the tight-knit prairie communities he had known.

As executive director of the Dallas Jewish Federation until his January 1991 retirement, Stein helped modernize governance, broaden the board, improve financial systems, strengthen community relations, and advance planning that led to senior housing and expanded services. He championed Jewish education and helped lead the community's response to Soviet Jewish immigration. After retiring, he earned a doctorate in political economy, taught nonprofit organization at the University of Texas at Dallas, consulted for the Feldman Foundation, and helped found an independent, non-denominational adult Jewish education program. Widowed in 1996, he took pride in his son Jerome, daughter Deborah, and three grandchildren, all living in Dallas.

Read Full Transcript