Rabbi Simeon Cohen

Rabbi Simeon Cohen joined Temple Beth Shalom in July 2017, after receiving rabbinic ordination and an MA in Jewish Education from the Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS). Prior to rabbinical school, Rabbi Cohen completed his undergraduate work in the Joint Program between Columbia University and JTS, where he earned a BA in Philosophy from Columbia and a BA in Jewish Thought from JTS.

Rabbi Cohen is passionate about Torah, rabbinic literature, and Jewish philosophy, and has taught extensively on medieval and modern Jewish thought and Jewish ethics. In his rabbinic work, he draws upon his love for the Jewish tradition to inspire others to embrace Jewish learning and living in personally meaningful ways.

As a rabbinical student, Rabbi Cohen worked in many communities, including Camp Ramah in the Berkshires, the Joseph Slifka Center for Jewish Life at Yale University, and the Forest Hills Jewish Center, where he was mentored by Rabbi Gerald Skolnik. Rabbi Cohen and his wife, Ariel, also served as the Resident Directors of the Goldsmith Residence Hall at JTS, where they helped to shape the undergraduate experience for 120 students.

When Rabbi Cohen is not studying the writings of Maimonides or Heschel, he can be found playing guitar, listening to classic rock or jazz, reading science fiction and fantasy novels and spending time with his wife, Ariel, his daughters, Amalya and Sivan, and their dog, Ophelia.