Gerson David Cohen (August 26, 1924 – August 15, 1991) was a Jewish historian, a Conservative

rabbi A rabbi () is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi – known as ''semikha'' – following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of ...

, and the Chancellor of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America from 1972–86. He was born in New York in 1924 and graduated from City College of New York in 1944. Cohen received his bachelor's degree, master's degree, and rabbinic ordination (1948) from the Jewish Theological Seminary of America. He received his Ph.D. in Semitic Languages at

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

in 1958. Cohen served as Gustav Gottheil Lecturer at Columbia University and in a number of posts at the Jewish Theological Seminary. His posts at the Seminary included Librarian (1950-1957), Lecturer (1957-1960), Visiting Assistant Professor (1961-1964), Visiting Professor (1964-1970), and Jacob H. Schiff Professor of History (1970-1991). He was named Chancellor of the Seminary in 1972. Cohen is especially noted for ordaining the first female rabbi in Conservative Judaism in 1985. As Chancellor, he appointed a special commission to study the issue of ordaining women as rabbis in 1977. Cohen died in New York in 1991.

References

Jewish historians American historians of religion Historians of Jews and Judaism American religion academics Jewish Theological Seminary of America people American Conservative rabbis Jewish American writers 1991 deaths 1924 births City College of New York alumni Columbia Graduate School of Arts and Sciences alumni 20th-century American rabbis {{US-rabbi-stub