Bruce M. Cohen
Encyclopedia
Bruce Mark Cohen was an American Rabbi
who co-founded the Interns for Peace
, an organization founded in Israel
in 1976 that is dedicated to fostering understanding between Arabs and Israelis through the training of community development and peace workers.
Cohen was born on May 8, 1945 in Buffalo, New York
, where his father was a justice on the New York Supreme Court
justice and his mother was a teacher. He earned his undergraduate degree at Cornell University
with a major in labor relations
. After a professor at Cornell convince him to pursue his spiritual side, Cohen attended Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, where he earned a bachelor's in Hebrew letters in 1970, a master's in 1973, the same year that he received his rabbinic ordination. He later earned a doctorate from the college in 1988.
After five Arab citizens of Israel were killed in Nazareth
by Israeli security forces during the Land Day
protest on March 30, 1976, his congregants from Congregation Mishkan Israel
, Hamden, Connecticut
funded a mission to Israel for Cohen to promote peace. While on his trip to Israel, he met Farhat Agbaria, an Israeli Arab who shared Cohen's vision of peace-building, and the two co-founded Interns for Peace. Interns for Peace aims to foster peace through building personal connections between Arabs and Jews, with Cohen noting that "every time you create contact it's successful because it breaks stereotypes". Cohen sought to overcome longstanding attitudes in which Israeli Arabs are viewed as a fifth column
, while Jews are labeled as oppressors. By the time of Cohen's death, the organization had trained 300 volunteers who have worked together on projects ranging from arts festivals to tree planting projects. Cohen's widow, Karen Wald Cohen, continues to serve as international director of Interns for Peace.
Cohen died at age 65 on August 2, 2010, at his home in White Plains, New York
due to cancer. He was survived by Ms. Karen Wald Cohen, whom he married in 1989, four adopted children, and five grandchildren.
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
who co-founded the Interns for Peace
Interns for Peace
Interns for Peace is an organization founded by Israeli Arab Farhat Agbaria and American Rabbi Bruce M. Cohen in 1976 with the mission of fostering the creation of personal relationships between Israel's Arabs and Jews, with the goal of creating greater understanding and promoting peace.After five...
, an organization founded in Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
in 1976 that is dedicated to fostering understanding between Arabs and Israelis through the training of community development and peace workers.
Cohen was born on May 8, 1945 in Buffalo, New York
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
, where his father was a justice on the New York Supreme Court
New York Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of the State of New York is the trial-level court of general jurisdiction in thestate court system of New York, United States. There is a supreme court in each of New York State's 62 counties, although some smaller counties share judges with neighboring counties...
justice and his mother was a teacher. He earned his undergraduate degree at Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
with a major in labor relations
Labor relations
Industrial relations is a multidisciplinary field that studies the employment relationship. Industrial relations is increasingly being called employment relations because of the importance of non-industrial employment relationships. Many outsiders also equate industrial relations to labour relations...
. After a professor at Cornell convince him to pursue his spiritual side, Cohen attended Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, where he earned a bachelor's in Hebrew letters in 1970, a master's in 1973, the same year that he received his rabbinic ordination. He later earned a doctorate from the college in 1988.
After five Arab citizens of Israel were killed in Nazareth
Nazareth
Nazareth is the largest city in the North District of Israel. Known as "the Arab capital of Israel," the population is made up predominantly of Palestinian Arab citizens of Israel...
by Israeli security forces during the Land Day
Land Day
Land Day , March 30, is an annual day of commemoration for Palestinians of the events of that date in 1976. In response to the Israeli government's announcement of a plan to expropriate thousands of dunams of land for "security and settlement purposes", a general strike and marches were organized...
protest on March 30, 1976, his congregants from Congregation Mishkan Israel
Congregation Mishkan Israel
Congregation Mishkan Israel, in Hamden, Connecticut, founded in 1840 and incorporated in 1843, the year the Connecticut legislature first permitted non-Christian organizations to incorporate in the state, is one of the two the oldest Jewish congregations in Connecticut. .The congregation was...
, Hamden, Connecticut
Hamden, Connecticut
Hamden is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The town's nickname is "The Land of the Sleeping Giant." Hamden is home to Quinnipiac University. The population was 58,180 according to the Census Bureau's 2005 estimates...
funded a mission to Israel for Cohen to promote peace. While on his trip to Israel, he met Farhat Agbaria, an Israeli Arab who shared Cohen's vision of peace-building, and the two co-founded Interns for Peace. Interns for Peace aims to foster peace through building personal connections between Arabs and Jews, with Cohen noting that "every time you create contact it's successful because it breaks stereotypes". Cohen sought to overcome longstanding attitudes in which Israeli Arabs are viewed as a fifth column
Fifth column
A fifth column is a group of people who clandestinely undermine a larger group such as a nation from within.-Origin:The term originated with a 1936 radio address by Emilio Mola, a Nationalist General during the 1936–39 Spanish Civil War...
, while Jews are labeled as oppressors. By the time of Cohen's death, the organization had trained 300 volunteers who have worked together on projects ranging from arts festivals to tree planting projects. Cohen's widow, Karen Wald Cohen, continues to serve as international director of Interns for Peace.
Cohen died at age 65 on August 2, 2010, at his home in White Plains, New York
White Plains, New York
White Plains is a city and the county seat of Westchester County, New York, United States. It is located in south-central Westchester, about east of the Hudson River and northwest of Long Island Sound...
due to cancer. He was survived by Ms. Karen Wald Cohen, whom he married in 1989, four adopted children, and five grandchildren.