Rabbi Dr. Samuel Press

I want to share several simple stories. I am an interfaith soul Sandy knew and respected. Sandy knew the importance of interfaith connections. He did reach out in community, as written in his obituary. He shared many practical, funny and heartfelt stories about his experiences in his career and life. I saw how that came from his heart and learned much from listening to his anecdotes.

Once, a few months before he died, we were eating lunch in his care site lunchroom. A gentleman...

Sandy is a wonderful soul who graced our world. Intelligent, assertive, kind and practical, he was filled with insight into human nature. I was always impressed with the stories and anecdotes he shared about a wide variety of topics, people and situations via letter, email, telephone or in person. It was so easy to say hello, how are you doing? with him. A true North Star of ethics and wisdom in our world, I am very appreciative to have known him and called him a friend who cared. There...

Rabbi Press was probably the first Rabbi I ever encountered as a kid. I remember being consecrated at Beth Abraham just before my family switched over to Beth Jacob since it was closer to where we lived in North Dayton. In my early adult years, after Rabbi Press retired, I used to see him at Beth Jacob and we would have deep conversations about Judaism and philosophy. Rabbi Press was so brilliant and personable and we will miss him dearly.

Rabbi Press will always be my Rabbi. I was a teenager growing up in Dayton, when Rabbi Press became the Rabbi at our synagogue, Beth Abraham. My family came to know him and his kindness so very well, and he and my father, Wolf Wahrman, became very close friends. I will always think of Rabbi Press as the most sincere, genuine, and caring Rabbi. To me, he epitomized the essential Rabbi. Scholarly, a great speaker with a worldly view, and the friendliest person who showed warmth and...

Rabbi Sam (to me) was a wonderful and caring man. He loved my family, especially my Grandparents Bill and Mary Zappin. Grandma Mary would be so delighted whenever he sent a note, be it in memory or congratulations of a family situation. She thought he was wonderful. My Uncle Ray Zappin was seen in high regard by Rabbi Sam. He spoke to me often in the last 10 years about my family. He expressed how he felt my brother, Alan Rosen was a great guy. This made me feel good. We often talked. For...

Although we haven´t lived in the Dayton area for over 50 years, Sandy was THE BEST friend I´ve ever had. Every time I would visit my parents, Sandy and I would make arrangements to go to the Waffle House followed by a trip to The Wharf tobacconist where we would sit in the Cigar Lounge and enjoy a cigar. Sandy was always engaged with everyone there and if they had personal problems, he would discretely attempt to console them and provide advice. He loved people and those who really knew and...

I always considered him a special friend. I always enjoyed speaking with him and visiting him at his home and out at the VA.