Rabbi Schiftan is the senior rabbi of Congregation Ohabai Sholom in Nashville, TN.

Rabbi Mark Schiftan arrived at The Temple–Congregation Ohabai Sholom—on July 1, 1999. He came to The Temple from an historic urban congregation in San Jose, California known as Temple Emanu-El. Having served as rabbi there since 1994, Mark led the congregation’s revitalization. His previous congregation shared the same name: Temple Emanu-El in San Francisco, California. Rabbi Schiftan served there from 1987 until 1994. Over the course of his years there, Mark was Assistant, Associate and finally Acting/Interim Rabbi, during a time of major transition, for a congregation of 1600 members.

Rabbi Schiftan received his Bachelor of Arts degree magna cum laude from San Francisco State University. Hebrew Union College of Los Angeles awarded Rabbi Schiftan’s Master of Arts in Hebrew Letters, and he was ordained at Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati, Ohio.

He has developed community service and community relations projects in both Temples Emanu-El, while guiding both congregations from classical to mainstream and contemporary Reform modes of worship. Rabbi Schiftan is responsible for staff supervision and management while fulfilling the full range of pulpit, pastoral, educational and communal duties.