Rabbi James Cohn "Religious creativity and intellectual curiosity -- by blending these twin commitments in response to the great challenges of our heritage, we not only grow as individuals; we also inspire the next generation of Jews to make their religion a vibrant, living Judaism."
These words illustrate the dynamic approach to Judaism taken by Rabbi James Cohn since his ordination as a Reform rabbi in 1978. Rabbi Cohn serves Temple Israel in Charleston, West Virginia. He has devoted much of his professional attention to the creation of worship services using popular music and literature; rituals for intermarriage and commitment ceremonies; religious education curricula for adults and children; and the impact upon religion of advances in the biological and physical sciences.
Rabbi
Cohn enjoys presenting workshops and seminars on Jewish beliefs and
practices, conducting Institutes on Judaism, teaching conversion
classes, officiating at life-cycle events, and joining with others in creative thought and dialogue.
MEETING THE NEEDS OF MODERN JEWS Jewish adults whose religious education was inadequate or uninspiring yearn for opportunities to explore ideas about God, afterlife, ethics, the Bible, and the other great themes of religion in a way that is consistent with a progressive world-view. Rabbi Cohn seeks to serve those Jews who believe that the truth has yet, if ever, to be fully known. This means, not that all beliefs are equally true, but that all people are equally affirmed in their search for truth. Single Jews -- whether never married, separated, divorced, or re-singled through the death of a spouse -- have difficulty finding their place in a communal structure that is oriented around families. The internet often becomes a vital opportunity for Jewish communal experience. Parents often feel uncertain about how to raise their children with a respect for tradition as well as a commitment to an open-minded approach to life and religion. This task should not be one parents have to face alone. Rabbi Cohn is committed to joining his efforts to those who answer this very present call.
Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Jews and their life-mates, too long excluded from communal life, must be accorded full recognition of their right to affirmation by the community -- through commitment ceremonies (and, where marriage licenses are issued by the state, marriages), adoptions, hospital visitation rights, and all other family simchas and responsibilities. Spiritually oriented persons are often turned off by stale, formulaic rituals that express antiquated theologies through boring worship services. Many of today's Jews are seeking new ritual forms that employ the language, music, rhythms, moods and thoughts of modern life, blending these with the cherished ritual forms created by our ancestors that strike responsive chords in the Jewish mind and heart of today. "The greatest criticism of a service or a sermon,” says Rabbi Cohn, “is that it is 'boring.'"
FROM THEORY TO PRACTICEReligious creativity has been the hallmark of Jewish life at every period of its development. Yet with time, that which was once new and creative can become stagnant and uninspiring. The need for creativity is once again sorely felt in the Jewish community. That need must be met by the development of: ~ Creative rituals that breathe new life into the celebration of the Sabbath, the New Year, the Day of Atonement, and the festival calendar; ~ Life-cycle ceremonies that support families and individuals experiencing the religious, spiritual, and emotional impact of rites of passage such as birth, coming of age (B’nai Mitzvah), the uniting of two lives as one, and the sorrow of loss and grief; ~ Educational and religious resources that teach a variety of options from the Jewish past and present, instead of labeling a single viewpoint of Jewish thought as "mainstream;" ~ A rabbinic approach that connects religion and its institutions to the human aspiration for meaning, love, and joy.
“To be a human being in this world is a difficult task; to be a Jew, even harder. But no task offers us more opportunities for progress, growth, and joy.” James D. Cohn Top of page photo credit: N. David Stern |
