In the course of a career spanning over 40 years as the executive director of Shulamith School for Girls, Rabbi Moshe Zwick zt”l touched the lives of literally thousands of girls and their families.

Rabbi Zwick grew up on the Lower East Side, the son of Rabbi Yehuda Zwick, a Rosh HaYeshiva in MTJ, and Rebbetzin Chaviva (Shurin) Zwick, herself a mechaneches for decades as well. A talmid of Telshe, the Mir and Bais Medrash Govoha, Rabbi Zwick developed and maintained close relationships with his Rabbeim. He married Chaya Wolf, the daughter of R’ Reuven and Chana Wolf who came to Boro Park after the war, and settled in Boro Park as well.

Motivated by his passion to help others, he started his career at Maimonides Medical Center in social work. While there, he heard about a position at Shulamith School for Girls. Mr. Ber Mandel, who was president of Shulamith, met with Rabbi Zwick to discuss the position. At the interview, Rabbi Zwick was asked how long he thought he would stay in the position. Rabbi Zwick responded that when one makes a shidduch, no one asks how long will the shidduch last, or when will one end the marriage; if the parties are happy with each other, it’s an enduring and long-lasting relationship. While it seems amazing that a young man – 26 years old – with no experience in running a school would even be entertained for the position of leading such an institution, Rabbi Zwick and his response made an impression and was hired.

For Rabbi Zwick, the school did not simply provide a job; it was his life and his passion, and he was involved at all hours of the day and night ensuring that bnos yisroel would receive a Torah education. Indeed, it was an enduring and long-lasting relationship.

During his tenure as executive director, the school moved from Boro Park to Flatbush. He bought a property, developed it, and oversaw the growth of the school physically and spiritually. Rabbi Zwick was involved in all facets of the operation of the school. Nowadays, many schools have a director, a fundraiser, a maintenance manager, a chief financial officer, and tuition committees. Rabbi Zwick was all of these – he was personally invested in the success of the school, and therefore shouldered enormous responsibilities. He was constantly looking for ways to grow the school, to give more to the students, to support the teachers, and to guarantee that girls who needed a torah education received it.

Towards the end of his tenure, Rabbi Zwick recognized the demand for a school like Shulamith in the Five Towns, and the success of Shulamith there is evidence of his vision and foresight.

The thousands of bnai and bnos Torah that are the children of Shulamith students, and the thriving Shulamith School that exists today in the Five Towns, are an everlasting testament to the mesiras nefesh of HoRav Moshe Chaim ben HoRav Yehuda Idel zt”l to ensure that all girls receive a torah-true chinuch.