A Tough Start
Moshe grew up in a family that consisted of his mother and younger brother. As a young child, he watched his mother work 2+ jobs to pay bills, finish school, and make ends meet. Beginning as early as 5 years old, Moshe became responsible for the feeding and dressing of his younger brother. Despite all of this, he says that he never heard his mother say "it's not fair". Together, they took every day as it came to them and pushed forward. In his own words, "we were happy."
"I believe my strong work ethic and commitment to helping others can be traced back to my mother. It may be cliché, but I truly believe I would not be where I am today without her support, love, and strength."
Adolescence, Faith, Education
Growing up, Moshe attended a small, traditional Jewish School in his home town. It was there that he learned about charity, kind deeds, and the importance of traditional education. (At the time, they were not observant Jews and Moshe recalls how all that he learned regarding Kosher, Sabbath, and the 613 commandments, was lost on him.) In his 10 years at this school he learned the value of humanity and that all people, "including me", are created in the image of God and that every person has value.
This lesson became significant in high school when his friends began to experiment with sex and drugs. Despite his youth, Moshe could not join as his friends risked their bodies and mind "for fun". For Moshe, his outlets were sports and video games. He joined his high school football, wrestling, and tennis teams in their respective seasons but made a decision not to attend raves or certain parties. This lifestyle was not without sacrifice.
By the middle of his sophomore year his mother had become sensitive to his lack of after-school social life and "sports only" weekends. She felt this was unhealthy and signed him up with a local, Synagogue Youth program. There, he recounts meeting dozens (if not hundreds) of kids who enjoyed sports, performed good deeds, and rejected drugs. It was also there that he re-found faith and began the long road towards observant Judaism.
After high school, he attended two years of college in Israel and two years in Silver Spring to receive a bachelor's in Talmudic Law. From there, he went on to George Washington University towards a masters degree in Education and Family Development.
Family
In the summer of 1998 he met his future wife at a summer camp in Silver Spring. They married in the summer of 2000 and, in his words, "I have been a better man since." Currently, they live in Rockville, MD and have 3 children, 2 boys and a girl.
Community Service
click here - this link will bring you to the "Serving the Community" tab above.
Professional Development
Moshe worked in technology and adolescent education for the greater part of these last ten years. While growing professionally through the ranks of software development and database architecture, he remained committed to youth development through teaching and youth programming. Currently, he is self-employed through Moshe Technologies and has partnered with friends in promoting DC-Metro businesses through a joint marketing firm. Additionally, he remains committed to education and teaches supplemental Judaic-studies to public school students in Olney, MD.
Politics
From the perspective of many of his friends and associates, this part of his life is the most curious. His friends, although strong supporters of this campaign and success, are not shy in expressing their disappointment with his involvement in politics and government. But for Starkman, he feels strongly that hard-working citizens would be better served by people who are genuinely concerned for the working family's best interests. Additionally, he is concerned about the increasing size of federal government and the pervasive, bi-partisan corruption therein.
In 2006, a friend (Jeff Stein) entered the race for US Congress in Maryland's 8th district and asked Starkman to join his team in the capacity of campaign manager. After seeing Jeff's platform and commitment to preserving the great heritage of American history, Starkman readily agreed and worked to promote Jeff's campaign. During the course of the campaign (and after no Republicans stepped up), the Central Committees of Montgomery and Prince George's County nominated Michael Moshe Starkman as their candidate for the 2006 general election. Despite his own nomination, he continued to work very hard for his friend's campaign while doing what he could to promote his own. In this time, over the course of the two campaigns, Starkman enjoyed the opportunity to speak with hundreds of people and learn what the working man (and woman) are hoping for. Basically, what he found was that the people of Greater Washington want a government that they can trust. A government that doesn't say one thing and do another; doesn't make promises and ignore them; and particularly in Marland's 4th District, a representative that is motivated to work for the people.
"I believe that I am ready to serve in this capacity and I look forward to when my electorate knows who I am, appreciates how I sincerely wish to serve them, and is ready to select me as their representative in government."
Investing in the Greater Washington Community
I believe that every person should try to appreciate the security and peace that we enjoy in this country. For me, I am most appreciative of our first-responders (police, fire, medics) and our country's strong medical capabilities. As such, and second only to charities for the poor, our charitable contributions always start with police, fire, and cancer research. (I contribute to education through personally teaching and giving to school fund-raisers.)
A Family Working Together
In the summer of 2000, together with the Berman Hebrew Academy, my wife (of one week) and I founded a new synagogue where I served as community leader for the first 4 years. The purpose of this congregation is to provide a community for parents and students of the Berman Academy who live nearby. Additionally, we serve the local Jewish population as a synagogue within walking distance for families that do not drive on the Sabbath. In my role as community leader, I was responsible for delivering the weekly sermon, providing adult-education classes for both beginners and learned congregants, and assisting families in a variety of life-cycle needs. I believe these experiences have made me a stronger, more capable leader for those whom I represent.
Seeing a Problem, Creating a Solution
A few years ago, while serving as Executive Director of a local youth organization, I perceived a need within the Jewish community that I felt was not being adequately addressed. More specifically, I felt that traditional day school students were not getting appropriate exposure to "the real world" and were often left unprepared to deal with the variety of challenges that today's society presents. Therefore, in 2003 - together with the help of a close friend - I founded a not-for-profit organization that gives day school students opportunities to play organized sports; chat with mentors, teachers, and peers outside of the classroom about day-to-day living; and feel connected to a vibrant, yet traditional way of life. The organization currently runs an active program in Baltimore for high school boys and girls and a middle-school program in Philadelphia, PA - the Silver Spring program is currently being re-developed. Through this organization we have worked with over 600 students and teachers, and continue to bring value to the Jewish community.