Currently serving as Principal of the Upper School of the Solomon Schechter Schools of Westchester (County in New York), Rabbi Cohen will replace Rabbi Sheldon Dorph, who will retire after fourteen years in the position. During that time, Rabbi Dorph oversaw record growth of the Ramah network. The Conservative movement now operates seven overnight and six day camps that annually accommodate more than sixty-five hundred campers, as well as an extensive program of summer teen travel in Israel and Europe. In recent years, the network has also spawned offshoots in Israel, Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union where they have helped spark interest in Judaism among youngsters and their families. The informal approach to Jewish education that Ramah camps have spearheaded has also been credited with creating a channel for reinforcing positive Jewish identification among youth in a non-pressured, relaxed environment.

Rabbi Cohen is a graduate of Brown University and the New York University School of Law and was ordained by JTS.

Reporters wishing to schedule an interview with Rabbi Cohen, please contact Jane Calem Rosen, JTS Media Relations Director, at (212) 678-8957 or email jarosen@jtsa.edu.