Matthew Hoffer Simon

Rabbi Matthew Hoffer Simon of North Bethesda, Maryland, died after a short illness on September 10, 2023/24 Ellul 5783, at the age of 91. Born in Johnstown, Pennsylvania on August 6, 1932, he was the eldest child of Rabbi Ralph Simon and Kelsey Hoffer Simon.  Rabbi Simon was the Senior Rabbi of B’nai Israel Congregation from 1973 until his retirement in 2002 – a tenure that included rebuilding and moving the congregation from Washington DC to its current location in Rockville, Maryland. He was the husband for 65 years of Dr. Sara Rubinow Simon. Rabbi and Dr. Simon remained residents of the local area and enjoyed their retirement in North Bethesda, Rehoboth Beach, Palm Springs, and Jerusalem.

Rabbi Simon held pulpit positions at Temple Ramah (now Temple Ramat Zion) in Northridge, California, and Valley Beth Shalom, in Encino, California, and he enjoyed providing spiritual and social services to Jewish communities on most of the continents throughout his life. Rabbi Simon’s enduring and persistent commitment to community-building and Tikkun Olam (Fixing the World) included leadership roles around the world in civil and human rights, social and religious justice, interfaith relations, and with his wife Dr. Simon the creation of programs and infrastructure for the special needs community. Rabbi Simon enjoyed the status of being Camper #1 of Camp Ramah, as his father was the founder of the first overnight camp nationally affiliated with the Conservative movement.  Rabbi Simon attended the University of Chicago and California State University, Northridge. He earned a Master of Political Science, a M.H.L. in Hebrew Literature, and a D.H.L. He was ordained by the Jewish Theological Seminary in 1958, which awarded him an Honorary Doctor of Divinity Degree in 1984. Following his ordination, he served as a U.S. Navy Chaplain in Japan, and retired from the Navy as a Captain after 28 years of Naval reserve service, continuing to provide chaplaincy at the Walter Reed Military Medical Center in Bethesda until his 90th year.

He was the Director of the United Jewish Appeal in Jerusalem. He was a founding member of Mercaz, the Zionist Movement of Conservative Judaism, and was its president; he was also president of Masorti, its international synagogue organization. Rabbi Simon had been Chairman of the Joint Retirement Board for Conservative Judaism three times, and a board member for over forty years. Twice he was the National Chairman of the Rabbinic Cabinet of the United Jewish Appeal, and was the Honorary President of the Rabbinic Cabinet of The Jewish Federations of North America, and was Chairman for five years of its National Funding Councils. He was Chairman of the Jewish Welfare Board’s Jewish Chaplains Council. He was a past National President of ZBT Fraternity, and a past President of the Washington Board of Rabbis.

Rabbi Simon was predeceased by his son Rabbi Joshua Reuveni Simon, and will be missed by his beloved wife of 65 years, Sara; his surviving children Ethan and Betsy (Jeff) and his daughters in law Sandy Katz and Dr. Miriam Bensimhon (Danny); and his loving grandchildren Molly, Ezekiel (Joni), Maggie, Dylan, Marley, and Charles Buddy; as well as his brother Carmi and his sister Tamar Hoffs (Josh).  The funeral will be graveside on Wednesday in New York City, and Shiva will be observed at B’nai Israel Congregation in Rockville before evening services on Thursday. Contributions in his memory can be made to the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington and B’nai Israel Congregation.