Steven M. Cohen’s Report on the Pew Survey at B’Nai Keshet on January 19, 2014
The Pew research report A Portrait of Jewish Americans has been eliciting strong reactions from American Jews of all persuasions since its release last October. Those of us who attended Steven M. Cohen’s talk on January 19 at Synagogue B’nai Keshet in Montclair got both a clear summary of the report’s findings and a cogent argument for changes in Jewish social and religious practices that could help reverse the decline in Jewish identity and observance that the report starkly highlights.
Dr. Cohen, currently Professor of Jewish Social Policy at Hebrew Union College, brings a unique perspective to the Pew Report as a both a committed Jew and a practicing sociologist. As a speaker, he comes across as a rare combination of geeky statistician and passionate advocate for change. His dry humor and his knack for drawing surprising observations from the dry data lightened what for many American Jews has become an uncomfortable topic.