Rabbi Burton I Cohen

May 21st, 2024

Burt was probably one of the most influential people in my life, having molded Camp Ramah in Wisconsin to what it was, and I assume probably still is, though each succeeding director added his own components. He was the only director I knew until I made Aliyah in 1971. His gentle, modest demeanor, but clear vision of what he wanted camp to be not only shaped camp, but also many of my ideas and beliefs as a Conservative Jew, while being a model of how to be a leader, to develop staff, to form a community, without being bombastic. So much of my being as a Jew and later educator and executive was formed in the camp he directed, as was true for my brother, Rabbi Zicky Bonder, z”l and others of our family, whom I will let speak for themselves. His Ramah was where I learned so much about nature, Tefillah, various texts (my first Talmud lessons), made friends, learned to teach and guide others. Even after he was no longer director, it was a pleasure to meet him when he visited Israel, to continue to listen to him and to learn from him. He had a sense of humor and always showed his love for his family and his concern for everyone at camp. יהי זיכרו ברוך.

~Shoshana Bayla Ben-Dor
~both camper and staff member under Burt, Jerusalem

May 20th, 2024

I have warm memories of the many summers I spent as a camper and counselor at Camp Ramah in Wisconsin. While כתות from all those years of camp may run together, one class stands out as having been unique in its content and delivery. Burt Cohen was my teacher for a summer-long class in צער בעלי חיים (a textual approach to how to treat animals). We learned from source sheets that included excerpts from Chumash, Tanach, Mishnah & Gemara, and Midrash. What a perfect setting! We sat on the grass in the sunshine and studied in Hebrew, of course (I never heard Burt say a word of English) the Jewish approach to the natural world. We understood that Burt took the subject very seriously and greatly respected the world around us as God’s creation. This was further emphasized by Burt when he spoke during תפילות on Friday nights and urged campers not to throw rocks at the birds. In Burt’s presence we were always aware of the proper way for a Jew to behave—with kindness, modesty, and a few well-chosen words (in Hebrew, of course). Burt was a shining role model to generations of young Jewish people, and he will be greatly missed.

~Elizabeth Lifchez Landes
~Former Camper, Skokie

May 20th, 2024

Burt Cohen, was my Menahel, teacher, mentor, nurturer, colleague, and friend. I feel his loss as one who has lost a close uncle or other family member.
Of many memories, here are just a few:

I was a late starter at Ramah Wisconsin (having spent a couple of summers at Herzl Camp), and my first summer was in Machon in 1965. It was a life-changing summer in every sense. I decided then to become more observant and even considered becoming a rabbi (N.B. that idea transitioned into a career in Jewish education). I also found that I was able to apply years of Hebrew language, learned at an afternoon Hebrew school, to good use. My senior counselor, Mort Steinberg, was a terrific role model of someone who dedicated to Ramah and Yiddishkeit, but also connected to the world around. But socially it was a very difficult summer. Being the only male who was in the Rikudei Am “chug”- I was labeled by my bunkmates as Twinkle-toes (no laughing, please). I remember asking to meet with Rabbi Cohen and in a private conversation I poured my heart out, with tears coming down my cheeks, claiming that I didn’t really have friends and felt out of the loop. After I finally paused for his reaction, Burt asked (in Hebrew, of course): סליחה – איזו שפה אתה מדבר? (Excuse me, what language are you speaking?) – Meaning, of course, that I should have been speaking in Hebrew the whole time. While I was taken aback (understatement), I learned to appreciate Burt’s dedication to speaking Hebrew.

I was blessed to be on the Ramah Israel Seminar in the summer of 1967. After high school I came back to Israel for a year before starting the Joint Program. It was a self-made program of some yeshiva learning and just living in Jerusalem. Months before the summer of 1969 I wrote Rabbi Cohen an enthusiastic letter asking if I could come to work at camp that summer. He wrote back equally enthusiastically and said I could be a JC and said that he wanted to show my letter to some of the lethargic members of the camp committee (I didn’t know what lethargic meant at the time, but I figured it out!). That summer, being a JC to Yossi Gordon, a role model and friend for years to come, turned out to be the launching of my career in Jewish education. (I also owe a great deal to Debbie Porten, z”l, who that summer, among others, helped me to grow and to make the most of the position of junior counselor.)

Burt had an uncanny way of reaching out to his staff and challenging them in ways they may not have expected. This was part of his nurturing personality and the professional way in which he empowered the people working under him. When I expected to return to camp in 1970 as a senior counselor, Burt had other ideas. He knew well of my experience and interest in Israeli (as well as international) folk dancing and challenged me to be Rosh Rikud, a position usually filled by a member of the Mishlahat. When I protested that I had no experience in teaching folk dancing, he said that during the year he would send me to train under Fred Berk, the legendary Israeli folk dance choreographer and teacher. The course was amazing, especially considering that Fred had a bum leg and couldn’t really dance, relying on assistants to demonstrate.

As fate would have it, in May of 1970 I broke a bone in my foot dancing at a wedding (if I’m not mistaken, it was Moshe Rothblum’s wedding). While I didn’t have a cast on by the time the summer started, I had to apply what I had learned from watching Fred Berk and lead dancing without putting too much pressure on my foot! But most importantly, that summer I met Sue, my wife-to-be. Although we already knew by the end of staff week that we were destined to be together, we became engaged in 1971 and planned a wedding in the summer of 1972. I went to consult with Burt about whether to get married before the camp season or after camp. He made it clear that while getting married after camp can be difficult (with all the preparations and anticipation…), camp was no place for a young couple to spend a honeymoon — especially if they were in positions of responsibility. As I was due to be a Rosh Edah, we decided on a wedding in late August. Indeed the summer was a very difficult one for me. The cohort of kids was known to be difficult and not all of my counselors were up to par (again, an understatement). Towards the end of the summer I remember a heart-to-heart chat with Burt, saying that I felt like a failure. Burt replied that at camp one learns on the job. One of the wonderful things about camp is that no matter how one summer goes, you can always come back the next summer and improve. It’s a great training ground for informal educators.

So, during the academic year (1972-3) Burt encouraged me to take a non-credited course at JTS with Rabbi David Mogilner, z”l, which was designed for people like me who had experience as a Rosh Edah and who were returning to camp in that position. The course was tremendously insightful (and helped me years later as director of Ramah Seminar and eventually as director of Ramah Programs in Israel). And, as Burt predicted, my second year as Rosh Edah was very successful and helped restore my faith in myself as an informal Jewish educator.

For our last summer at Ramah Wisconsin (1974, also Burt’s last summer), he asked me to be “Rosh Anaf” of Music and Dance. While it was very challenging, it allowed me to put to use both my knowledge and skills in music (I was a music major at Columbia) and in folk dancing. Again, Burt the enabler.

Having made Aliya with my family in 1980 I had the fortune of working part time with the Ramah Seminar under Rabbi Benjy Segal, who – with his wife Judy – had been a madrich when I was on Seminar in 1967. Again, I must thank Burt for his recommendation and encouragement. I began working full-time with Ramah Israel in 1986, during Burt’s term as National Ramah Director. At the time, Camp Ramah in New England was going through a lot of transitions and needed a summer director for the 1988 season. Burt asked me to fill that role, with Benjy Segal’s blessing. Credit is due to Dr. David Zisenwine – who had been the summer director at CRNE the previous seasons – for giving me a thorough orientation on how to manage the position. While it was a difficult summer (especially being away from my family for 10 weeks), for me it was the fulfillment of a fantasy of being the director of a Ramah camp.

So, in so many ways I owe my career in Jewish education, and so many aspects of my life, to Rabbi Dr. Burt Cohen and to all of the people whom he influenced who, in turn, had an impact on me. May the memory of the righteous be for a blessing. To the family: בניין ציון תנוחמו.

~Joe Freedman
~Student, colelague, Jerusalem, israel

May 20th, 2024

Always a wise counselor and true friend

~Rabbi Arthur Ruberg
~Ramah Director under him, Columbus Ohio

May 19th, 2024

He was truly a gentleman and a scholar. Remembering the Talmud Shiur that Rabbi Cohen conducted at Congregation Sons of Israel, Woodmere, every Shabbat afternoon.

~Marcel Buchsbaum
~Friend, Hewlett, New York

May 19th, 2024

What a wonderful friend, teacher and Rabbi. His dedication to Congregations Sons of Israel will always be remembered and cherished. May his memory be for a blessing.

~Steven & Joan Sherman
~friends and congregants Congregation Sons of Israel, Woodmere, NY

May 19th, 2024

Thank you.Burt.for hiring me to work at camp ramah.in wisconsin in 1970 where I met Joe Freedman my husband 52 years alreadymarried joe was rosh rikud that year and we asked you when is the ideal time to get married beforecamp or after camp ends and upon your recommendation thats what we did august 1972! Ramah is amazing and many many many people like us have cherished memories of all this thank you for being apart of it for us ourcondolences to all your family always המקום ינחם אתכם באבלי ציון וירושלים ..

~Sue Freedman
~Friend counslor ramah wisconsin a long time ago, Jerusalem

May 19th, 2024

I was privileged to have known Burt for more than 70 years. Although I was ten years younger than he, in a sense we “grew up” together at Ner Tamid Congregation in West Rogers Park. I knew his family and siblings there. But our most meaningful relationship was at Wisconsin Ramah, which relationship deepened significantly when i was on the “educational staff” and Burt was the Camp director. Since then, our relationship continued and further deepened, even though our professional paths diverged. Burt was very dedicated to Jewish education, and he made a very important mark in that field, surely in his extensive and long-time work in the Ramah movement and also as a JTS faculty member. He had a very significant impact in his chosen field and influenced, for the good, generations of students and future rabbis and educators. But beyond his considerable professional contributions, Burt was a very good person: intelligent, kind, understanding, sympathetic, diplomatic and more. I and the generations he influenced (all for the good) will always remember him kindly. My most sincere condolences to all the family members.

~Bob Berger
~Student and friend, Highland Park, IL

May 18th, 2024

It is funny that in aging memory becomes an issue. However there are some which remain with us forever. One Shabbat afternoon LTF class is one of those. Rabbi Cohen taught us about using electric lights on Chanukah. Not sure where we on ended up in the discussion… however like the lights of Chanukah Rabbi Cohen made it his life to spread the light of Judaism and what it means to be a Jew. And I was fortunate to be under the umbrella of his glow.

May his memory be a blessing.

~Ari Silverman
~Long time family friend, Boca Raton Florida

May 18th, 2024

Burt’s commitment to Ramah, Jewish education, and values His dedication and leadership.

~Richard Malter
~Friend from Ramah. Our lives were profoundly influenced by Ramah and Jewish values that were very strong throughout his life., Cottonwood Arizona

May 17th, 2024

BURT SENT ME MY WIFE GAIL ZAIMAN TO THE POCONOS WHERE WE MET, WORKED TOGETHER, AND THEN RETURNED TO WISCONSIN AS ROSHET EDAH. THERE HE SHOWED ME A QUIET AND RESPECTFUL STYLE OF LEADERSHIP MUCH DIFFERENT FROM MY OTHER DIRECTOR MODEL, DAVID MOGILNER ZL. WHEN BURT RETIRED AS NATIONAL DIRECTOR AND I TOOK THAT JOB, HE WAS A CONSTANT SOURCE OF AID AND ADVICE FOR WHICH I AM EVER GRATEFUL. MAY HIS MEMORY REMAIN A BLESSING TO US ALL.

~Sheldon Arthur Dorph
~MY TEACHER AND COLLEAGUE, Belvedere Tiburon