Rabbi Benson Skoff, rabbi emeritus of Brith Sholom Kneseth Israel (BSKI) congregation and Kol Rinah, who served BSKI for more than 30 years as spiritual leader, died Sunday, April 13.  He was 91 and a longtime resident of Richmond Heights.

In 1959, Rabbi Skoff succeeded Rabbi Jacob Mazur at Brith Sholom Congregation, which was located on Delmar Boulevard at the time. In 1960, Brith Sholom merged with Congregation Kneseth Israel, which was then served by Rabbi Sholom Rivkin, who would become chief rabbi of the Vaad Hoeir-United Orthodox Jewish Community later in his career.

After the newly formed Brith Sholom Kneseth Israel congregation purchased land on Linden Avenue in Richmond Heights, the congregation — which had previously been Orthodox — joined the Conservative Movement. 

Rabbi Skoff was senior rabbi of BSKI from 1960 until his retirement in 1991, when he became rabbi emeritus. When BSKI merged with Shaare Zedek under the new name of Kol Rinah, Rabbi Skoff retained his emeritus title. Rabbi Skoff’s immediate successor as senior rabbi of BSKI was Rabbi Mordecai Miller, who left BSKI in 2012.

Gary Kodner, past president of BSKI, and active member of Kol Rinah, said Rabbi Skoff was very active with BSKI during Rabbi Mordecai Miller’s  tenure, and he continued to serve as rabbi emeritus for the newly formed Kol Rinah, up until the time of his passing.  

“His voice will be remembered for years to come at Kol Rinah,” said Kodner, who is also president of the Jewish Light. 

Rabbi Skoff was born in Philadelphia on Jan. 10, 1923, the son of William and Dena Skoff. He was a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania with a bachelor of arts degree in education, and of Columbia University with a master’s in education. He received his rabbinic ordination in 1948 from the Conservative movement’s Jewish Theological Seminary of America. He served as assistant counselor to Jewish students and director of activities of the Jewish Graduate Society at Columbia University and was a lecturer in classical languages at the University of Texas.

Prior to accepting the pulpit at BSKI, Rabbi Skoff served as rabbi of congregations in Austin, Texas; Duluth, Minn.; and Grand Rapids, Mich. 

Asked early in his career what he was most proud of accomplishing, he said, “Leading the synagogue though the harmonious merger of the two congregations, Brith Sholom and Kneseth Israel, and through the building of a magnificent, million-dollar synagogue edifice.”

Respected by his rabbinic colleagues, Rabbi Skoff served as president of the St. Louis Rabbinical Association and as chairman of its Radio and TV Committee. He hosted Jewish-oriented programs for “Confluence,” a long-running interfaith show on KMOV (Channel 4), and often hosted “Message of the Rabbi” shows on KTVI (Channel 2) with Rabbi Mark Shook of Temple Israel. 

In a 2009 interview with the Jewish Light, Rabbi Skoff recalled the “power TV has to promote dialogue.” He hosted a “Confluence” show with representatives of both sides of the Yugoslav civil war.

“These people who were enemies and would not speak to one another came together for this program,” he said at the time. “Afterward, they stayed together for awhile, and they were talking to each other. I was amazed.”

Throughout his career, Rabbi Skoff benefitted from the wisdom of his wife of 58 years, Rosalind Cohen Skoff, who died in 2004. Rabbi Skoff and his wife were admired for their warm hospitality and for the wisdom they imparted to newlyweds or couples contemplating marriage. Rabbi Skoff would share with such couples the story of the great Rabbi Akiva, who had yet to achieve greatness when he met his wife, Rachel. Through his Rachel’s encouragement, Rabbi Akiva became one of the foremost thinkers in his generation, and she became a better person in the process.

Rabbi Skoff shared the above story with the Jewish Light in a 2009 interview prior to a special commemorative service honoring his 50 years of association with BSKI. Shirlene Baris, a past president of BSKI, said, “He’s been a wonderful rabbi for all of these years. He’s been very close to many, many families, and he’s done many life-cycle events, not only for couples, but for their children and grandchildren.”

Baris said one of the things she admired most about Rabbi Skoff is that, except for the High Holidays, as rabbi emeritus he avoided the pulpit and chose to sit with fellow worshippers. 

“Every Saturday, he’d be there, but as just another member of the congregation,” she said.

Mrs. Baris’ husband, Irl Baris, said, “Rabbi Skoff was a model of steady leadership and reassurance”  during the aftermath of the murder of BSKI member Gerald Gordon in 1977 by white supremacist killer Joseph Paul Franklin, who was executed for the crime last year.

Rabbi and Mrs. Skoff’s love of learning and teaching spread to their family. Two of their five children, Jonine Skoff and Joshua Skoff, were ordained in May 1990, the first brother and sister to be ordained as rabbis at any American rabbinical seminary. Rabbi Jonina Skoff at the time told the Jewish Light, “I learned about the philosophical and rational parts of Judaism from my dad, and the emotional parts from my mom.” 

Joshua Skoff, who had earned a law degree and was a lawyer, decided to become a rabbi after seeing some of his good friends become rabbis. 

“I began to see myself in a similar role,”  he said. 

Funeral services will be held Thursday, April 17, at 3:30 p.m., following visitation at 3 p.m., at the former BSKI building, 1107 Linden Avenue in Richmond Heights. Burial will be at the Beth Hamedrosh Hagodol Cemetery on Ladue Road.

Survivors include five children, Temima (Alan) Gradman, Avi (Jayne) Skoff, Hillel (Roberta) Skoff, Joshua (Ilana Hoffer) Skoff, and Jonina (Randy) Pritzker; 12 grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.