Jack Simcha Cohen
(1936–2014) was an "18th consecutive communal rabbi in his family"
and "the face of Orthodox Judaism" to a TV program "viewed by millions each week." He held positions in New York, New Jersey, California (18 years) and Australia, with his "final position in the rabbinate" in Florida.
[
Cohen, who died on his 78th birthday, was also a long time columnist in ]The Jewish Press
''The Jewish Press'' is an American weekly newspaper based in Brooklyn, New York, and geared toward the Modern Orthodox Jewish community. It describes itself as "America's Largest Independent Jewish Weekly".
''The Jewish Press'' has an online v ...
and the author of several books. His first involvement in Jewish public life had been with National Council of Synagogue Youth (NCSY
NCSY (formerly known as the National Conference of Synagogue Youth) is a Jewish youth group under the auspices of the Orthodox Union. Its operations include Jewish-inspired after-school programs; summer programs in Israel, Europe, and the United S ...
).
Education
He attended public school during his early elementary years while studying with his father, rabbi of an Orthodox synagogue in Asbury Park, New Jersey
Asbury Park () is a beachfront city located on the Jersey Shore in Monmouth County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is part of the New York metropolitan area.
As of the 2020 U.S. census, the city's population was 15,188 . His formal education continued at Yeshiva Chaim Berlin
Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Berlin or ''Yeshivas Rabbeinu Chaim Berlin'' ( he, יְשִׁיבַת רַבֵּינוּ חַיִּים בֶּרלִין) is an American Haredi Lithuanian-type boys' and men's yeshiva in Brooklyn, New York.
Chaim Berlin consis ...
from which he received rabbinical ordination.[
His use of "J. Simcha" and "Jack Simcha" can be traced to marrying Shoshana Nayman during his ]postgraduate
Postgraduate or graduate education refers to academic or professional degrees, certificates, diplomas, or other qualifications pursued by post-secondary students who have earned an undergraduate ( bachelor's) degree.
The organization and stru ...
studies, and his father-in-law's first name Yaakov, being the same as his.[
]
Metropolitan New York Coordinating Council on Jewish Poverty
Cohen was their first executive director. Although known by shorter names, the full name was "Metropolitan New York Coordinating Council on Jewish Poverty."[
]
New Jersey
His first pulpit position was "at Congregation Ahawas Achim B'nai Jacob and David" in West Orange, New Jersey
West Orange is a suburban township in Essex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States Census, its population was 48,843, an increase of 2,636 (+5.7%) from the 46,207 counted in the 2010 Census. .
California
He was described by the ''Los Angeles Times'' as "Orthodox Rabbi Jack Simcha Cohen, 50, spiritual leader of Congregation Shaarei Tefila in Los Angeles" when he became president of the Board of Rabbis of Southern California. The newspaper described the board as a "240-member body dominated by rabbis from the Reform and Conservative branches." Cohen served the synagogue for 18 years.[
]
Australia
His involvement in the Jewish community of Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
, Australia included synagogue rabbi and kashrus supervision.[
He arrived there in 1996;] shortly after he died, an Australian rabbi/educator wrote about his "pleasant disposition .. a professional American style Rabbi with lots of grandeur."
Florida (final position in the rabbinate)
After leaving Australia Cohen became the rabbi of Congregation Aitz Chaim, in West Palm Beach
West or Occident is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sunset, Sun sets on the Earth.
Etymology
The word "west" is a Germanic languages, German ...
. As of that time, he had authored six books.
While in Florida he continued writing his ''Jewish Press'' column, but also began contributing to a 2007-founded Torah weblog, Jewish Ideas.
Jewish Press column
His ''Halachic Questions'' column originated when a future associate editor of ''The Jewish Press'', while vacationing in Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
, met and encouraged Cohen to talk with the New York-based paper's co-founder Sholom Klass
Rabbi Sholom Klass (1916–2000) was the co-founder, publisher and editor of ''The Jewish Press'', a large Jewish circulation newspaper. He also authored ''Tales from our Gaonim'' and the halachic work ''Responsa of Modern Judaism'' (3 volumes ...
.[ The latter two met
when Cohen was visiting New York. He began "to write a weekly halacha column" for which "the final installment .. appeared in the paper .. days before his death."
Some topics were tip-of-the-iceberg.
]
Appointing Women Leaders
An example of a topic he wrote about in 1999, which has become of practical application for Modern Orthodox synagogues by 2017, is the matter of synagogues with a woman president. He cited two earlier writings from prior generations with:
* "perhaps the requirement .. to be a male" is negated if she is more qualified than male alternative candidates.
* since it's compared to being a king, and Jewish kings were intended to rule in the Land of Israel, then outside Israel might be OK.
He conceded that both of these were "not reported as halachic rulings" and are just theoretical.
Family, privacy, charity
His ''Obligations of a Charity Collector'' backed with 3 citations that a communal charity official not only may but must reveal to family members that their relative needs financial assistance, even overriding "whether the claimant for funds gives such permission."
Books
Cohen, who was described as "a Talmud scholar and prolific author"[ authored:
* ''Intermarriage and Conversion: A Halakhic Solution''
* The 613th Commandment: An Analysis of the Mitzvah to Write a Sefer Torah
* How Does Jewish Law Work?
* Shabbat: The Right Way: Resolving Halachic Dilemmas
* Timely Jewish Questions, Timeless Rabbinic Answers
* The Jewish Heart: Essays on Jewish Sensitivities
* Jewish Prayer: The Right Way]
References
{{authority control
1936 births
2014 deaths
American Orthodox rabbis
American anti-poverty advocates
Rabbis from New Jersey
20th-century American rabbis
21st-century American rabbis