Every June, the LGBTQIA+ community celebrates Pride Month, a month that includes a variety of gatherings and experiences as a way of recognizing the influence queer-identifying people have had on society. June was chosen for Pride Month because the Stonewall Riots (which served as a catalyst for the gay rights movement and led to the creation of various gay activist groups in the United States) took place in June 1969.
In that spirit, Federation is proud to spotlight LGBTQIA+ people in Jewish Buffalo, and on this Shabbat, we’re delighted to cast a spotlight on Cantor Mark Horowitz, Chief Operations Officer of JCC Buffalo.
Mark’s path to Jewish communal leadership has been anything but ordinary. Growing up in Cedarhurst on Long Island, he began his career as a pianist, studying at both the Juilliard School and the Manhattan School of Music. His journey took a meaningful turn when he enrolled at Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion’s Debbie Friedman School of Sacred Music, where he was ordained as a cantor in 1979.
After serving at Temple Sinai in Roslyn Heights, Mark moved to Western New York with his children, Jordana and Aleza, and their mother, Cantor Barbara Ostfeld. He went on to serve Temple Beth Am as cantor and director of its religious and nursery schools before becoming Executive Director of the Bureau of Jewish Education and Principal of the High School of Jewish Studies. Along the way, he earned a master’s degree from the University at Buffalo in Early Childhood Education and Philosophy of Education—a career shift from piano to early childhood (which is a great story, so please ask Mark when you see him!)
In 2004, Mark left Buffalo to become the inaugural Executive Director of the Jewish Early Childhood Education Initiative and later Senior Vice President of Early Childhood at JCC Association of North America. In that role, he visited nearly 150 Jewish early childhood centers throughout the United States and Canada, helping shape the future of Jewish education across the continent.
In 2022, Mark returned home to Buffalo and to the JCC, first serving as Chief People Officer and later as Chief Operating Officer. Many in our community also remember him fondly as the Children’s Theater Director during the 1990s, alongside his longtime colleague and friend, Evie Weinstein.
Mark has also become a voice for LGBTQIA+ inclusion in Jewish Buffalo. Drawing on his own experiences, he, along with Janet Gunner, is helping to reinvigorate the Jewish Community Inclusion Task Force, creating opportunities for connection, belonging, and meaningful participation for LGBTQIA+ Jews throughout our community. They are now forming a group to create new connections and community and welcome your input. Please be in touch with Mark if you are interested in joining us.
At the heart of Mark’s life is a simple but powerful belief inspired by Jewish tradition: finding blessings in everyday moments. He draws meaning from the Talmudic teaching of offering one hundred blessings each day—not necessarily through formal prayers, but through gratitude for nature, relationships, learning, love, and community. Blessings can be a beautiful divine intervention between people, nature, pets and more. Mark shares that during this month of Pride, this tradition is one that the LGBTQIA+ community would benefit from, especially during this difficult moment in time.
Among his greatest blessings are his family: Jordana, Joe, Joey, and Jesse Montani; Aleza Horowitz; his beloved husband, Joe Green; their dog, Samson; and Joe’s beautiful family. He also considers the dedicated staff and community of the JCC to be among his daily blessings, working alongside his friend and colleague CEO Patty Simonson and hundreds of colleagues committed to strengthening Jewish Buffalo.
Mark’s message is simple: blessings surround us every day. All we need to do is notice them. Give it some thought, try it for yourself, and if you want to chat – give him a call.
