So far, the range of reaction is unclear. Members who were contacted had no comment. He was named rabbi in 1991 and recently returned from a sabbatical of several months. In a letter that went to members about the same time Moch's did, temple president Cecile Berko said the temple's board met with Moch on Oct. 11. She has declined to comment further.
Rabbis serve under contract with their temples, rather than through appointment by higher authority.
Moch came to Temple Beth-El from Springfield, Ill., where for six years he was the rabbi at Temple B'rith Sholom. Before that, he was the rabbi at Temple Emanuel in Winston-Salem, N.C., from 1978 to 1985. He has been separated from his wife, Jacqueline. The Mochs have three children. In his letter, Moch suggested that going public with his sexual orientation had lifted a burden.