Rabbi Cohen’s Writings

Dear Friends, We live in a world in which disagreement and debate are increasingly seen as conflict and divisive rather than an exchange of ideas that create the potential for learning and growth. All of this, of course, is anathema to Judaism which is based on disagreement and [...]

Dear Friends, One of the aspects of Passover that has always fascinated me is that there are myriad versions of Hagaddot that are available. The story of the Exodus and specific rituals such as four glasses of wine and breaking the middle matzah are always the same. The [...]

Dear Friends, Six months ago we awoke to news that the worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust was underway. The reports were horrific. The images that eventually came out were worse. And it was immediately clear that after years of violence in the region, this was something different. [...]

Dear Friends, In this week’s Torah portion, Tzav, we read, "This is the torah of burnt offerings." The rabbis of old asked why the Torah made the unusual choice to use the word torah- "teaching" or "instruction," rather than something more direct such as "These are the rules." [...]