Steven M. Cohen


Continuity Beyond Communal Walls

By Steven M. Cohen

With all the critique leveled at Jewish institutions these days, it’s worth recalling that congregations and Jewish community centers are extraordinarily successful in appealing to a particular segment of American Jews. Of those who are in-married with school-age children, well over 80% are affiliated with a Jewish institution, generally a synagogue or JCC. Once parents give birth to a Jewish child, the chances that they will find Jewish friends and come into the orbit of conventional organized Jewry are indeed very high.Read More

Gender Bias Is a Fact of Communal Life

By Steven M. Cohen and Shaul Kelner

A by-now widely reported accident took place at Wye Plantation last week. The Jewish People Policy Planning Institute convened a meeting of Jewish organizational leaders to discuss the future of the Jewish people — but hardly any women leaders were invited, hardly any were expected to participate before dozens of Jews sent protest letters to theRead More

Poll: Attachment of U.S. Jews To Israel Falls in Past 2 Years

By Steven M. Cohen

The attachment of American Jews to Israel has weakened measurably in the last two years, a recent survey demonstrates, continuing a long-term trend visible during the past decade and a half.The weakening is apparent in almost every measure of Jewish connection to Israel except for interest in travel to Israel, which showed a slight uptick, and aRead More

Charles Liebman Shed Light on Jewish Culture

By Steven M. Cohen

Charles Liebman, widely regarded as the pre-eminent social scientist of Jews and Judaism in the latter third of the 20th century, died last week in Petah Tikva at age 69. A political scientist by discipline, his dozen books and scores of scholarly articles deftly interpret the culture of Judaism and the Jewish people in the United States, IsraelRead More

Terrorism Stokes New Set of Fears Among Jews: Poll

By Steven M. Cohen

Alarmed by the growing specter of terrorism abroad and at home, American Jews report feeling high levels of anxiety and fear of further attacks — on their nation, their community and themselves. The September 11 attacks, ongoing violence in Israel and reports of antisemitic threats worldwide have combined to create a widespread feelingRead More



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