In Memory of Moshe Fessel
March 6, 1975 — April 2, 2024
This project exists because of Moshe Fessel. His life, his courage, and his unwavering commitment to truth and compassion are the reason Beyond the Derech was built.
Born in Brooklyn, New York, Moshe was raised in the Orthodox Jewish community. He went on to earn his law degree from Columbia Law School in 2001, and spent eight years as an associate in the General Practice group at Sullivan & Cromwell before becoming a respected legal recruiter. But his professional accomplishments only tell part of the story.
Moshe was known for his extraordinary intelligence, sharp wit, deep compassion, and an unwavering spirit that drew people to him. He didn't hide his tenderness. He didn't armor up the way so many of us do. He was a validator — someone who genuinely saw and heard the people around him, and made them feel worthy without ever asking them to earn it.
He was passionate about engaging discussions on diverse topics — from the intricacies of Talmudic law and Biblical texts to world politics, religious beliefs, and questions of values and morality. He challenged others lovingly, with that sharp mind, and he listened. When someone shared their experience, he accepted it without argument. He understood that everyone's journey was their own.
Moshe navigated his own journey of leaving Orthodox Judaism with the same honesty and courage he brought to everything. He was deeply passionate about guiding others through that transition — not by telling them what to think, but by being present, by listening, by making the path feel less lonely. He was, as one friend described him, a rebbe in the truest sense.
He added a whole new dimension to my reality. He was so loved. He still is.
On April 2, 2024, Moshe's life was tragically cut short in a car accident. He was 49 years old. He left behind his parents Chaim and Esther, his sisters Tzivi and Shanna, his brother Shmuel, his four children, and two granddaughters — all of whom he loved fiercely and spoke of with evident pride.
Why This Project Carries His Name
Moshe believed that people deserve honesty. He believed they deserve to see the actual texts, to think for themselves, and to have someone in their corner while they figure it out. Beyond the Derech was built in that spirit — to give people the information, the resources, and the community that Moshe gave to everyone who was lucky enough to know him.
If this project helps even one person feel less alone on their journey, it will have honored who Moshe was. A good man. A loving father. A true friend. Someone who made the world better just by being in it.
You can visit Moshe's memorial page and share your memories at ForeverMissed.com