Meet... Norman M. Cohen

Name

Norman M. Cohen

Congregation

Bet Shalom - Minnetonka Minnesota

Years at this congregation

more than 40 (1981-) I am now Founding Rabbi Emeritus

Years as a Rabbi

Close to 50 - ordained at HUC-JIR Cincinnati in 1977

What's your usual lunch order?

Soup and/or sandwich; A salad with some protein

What are some of your favorite TV/Netflix etc. series?

Game of Thrones, Young Sheldon, Six Feet Under, The Sopranos, The Twilight Zone, Seinfeld, Law and Order

What is the best concert you ever attended?

Bob Dylan; The Who; Peter, Paul, and Mary; Judy Collins; CSNY; Moody Blues

If you weren't a Rabbi, what would you be?

A doctor, a lawyer, a disc jockey!

What sports teams do you root for?

Pittsburgh (my birth home town) teams, especially the Steelers; Minnesota teams (where I have lived for over 40 years), and Holy Cross College (my alma mater) teams.

What app do you use the most?

Google, ZOOM, ESPN, Apple Music

What's your dream car?

The one I drive! (Audi A4 convertible)

Which holiday meal is your favorite?

The Seder; Yom Kippur Break the Fast

Other than Israel, where would you love to travel?

Far East

What do you like best about being a Rabbi?

The people, the younger generation

What advice do you have for students preparing for the big day?

Enjoy all the love and pride your family and friends will share with you; study hard and teach them about the Torah and about YOU!

Anything else people should know about you?

I was the only Jewish student at Holy Cross College and there decided I would become a rabbi. My trip to Israel as a junior was a key factor as well. My first congregation was Rockdale Temple in Cincinnati, the oldest Jewish congregation West of the Alleghenies. I have served on the faculty of OSRUI summer camp in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin for 40 years. But I am most pleased and proud to be the husband of Andrea and parent to TJ and Carley Rubin and Saba (grandfather) to Wyatt, Maeve, and Jacob who live in Chicago.