Local Rabbi Marks 20th Anniversary

Rabbi Daniel Cohen, senior rabbi at South Orange's Temple Sharey Tefilo-Israel began his service to the Reform congregation 20 years ago, and two events are on tap to celebrate the milestone.

Additionally, TSTI has established the Rabbinic Endowment for Jewish Learning in Cohen’s honor to recognize his commitment to progressive Jewish education.

“Rabbi Cohen has brought multiple innovations and a strong sense of community to TSTI during his 20 years of service,” said Gary Shedlin, who will chair the endowment. “This endowment will create a lasting legacy that reflects the rabbi’s longstanding commitment to Jewish education and highlight his emphasis on making high-quality Jewish education available to everyone, regardless of special needs or family income.”

The endowment has already received commitments totaling more than $725,000, which the congregation calls a demonstration of its support for and appreciation of what Cohen accomplishments at TSTI. Among his achievements:

• overseeing the renovation of TSTI’s synagogue to make it more accessible to disabled people and to allow one-on-one support for students with special needs;
• integrating technology into TSTI's school;
• promoting TSTI’s green initiatives (TSTI was the first Reform synagogue in the U.S. to attain certification for environmental leadership from interfaith environmental coalition Greenfaith);
• promoting democratic and religious tolerance in Israel.

Rabbi Cohen said the achievements belong not to him, but to the entire congregation.

“It is about the team," he said. "I work with really amazing people. The whole is much stronger than any one part.”

Cohen came to TSTI as a rabbinical intern in 1992. After being ordained through the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in 1993, he joined TSTI as assistant rabbi and made the leap to senior rabbi in 1999. He holds a master’s degree in Hebrew letters from HUC-JIR, a Ph.D. in pastoral counseling from HUC-JIR and the Post-Graduate Center for Mental Health, and is a certified bereavement facilitator. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Duke University.

Cohen's anniversary will be the focus of a special celebratory Shabbat service on June 7 at 7:30 p.m. featuring "a little learning and a lot of fabulous desserts." There will also be a gala reception for Cohen on June 15 from 6:30-10 p.m. featuring food and drinks, a speaker and other special entertainment followed by desserts. Tickets for the gala are $120 per person. Both events will be held at TSTI, 432 Scotland Road.

For more information, visit the TSTI website or call 973-763-4116.