Born in Bavaria in 1819, Moses Schloss settled first in Albany, NewYork, after immigrating at the age of seventeen. There he establisheda lucrative dry goods business and became active in freemasonry,achieving the rank of Worshipful Master of the Washington Lodge. Hebecame captain in local militia, the Washington Rifles, whichcommanded in action during the Anti-Rent War, a tenants’ revolt inUpstate New York in the early 1840s.

His time in Albanyalso saw his marriage to Amelia Schloss.The couple were active in the small Jewish community there, composedmostly of Jews from Bavaria and Posen, who began arriving in the cityin the 1830s. Schloss was among the founders of Congregation Beth Elin 1838, and served as president in 1840s and in that roleinstrumental in bringing Isaac Mayer Wise, newly arrived fromBohemia, to serve as rabbi. Wise, who would go on to become one ofthe leading Jewish religious figures in the United States in thenineteenth century, introduced numerous reforms during his four-yeartenure at Beth El, which ended up dividing the congregation—althoughSchloss remained ever supportive. In his Reminiscences, Wiseremembered Schloss as welcoming and insightful, calling him the“Aristotle of Albany Jewry.”

In 1849 Schlossleft Albany for Saint Louis, before joining his brother Benjamin,Frederick, and Philip in California where they had started a drygoods business. In 1857 Moses and Philip came to New York City, wherethey started Schloss Brothers, a successful umbrella company.

In New York Schlosswas active with the Reform Tempe Emanu-El, serving as vice presidentof the congregation. He played an important role in helping RabbiSamuel Adler establish a theological seminary there in 1865.He was a patron of numerous charities including the Montefiore Homefor Aged and Infirm Israelites, the Hebrew Orphan Asylum, and MountSinai Hospital.