Hebrew Union College Mourns the Passing of Rabbi Martin A. Cohen, Ph.D., z”l

It is with great sorrow that Hebrew Union College mourns the passing of longtime faculty member, colleague, and mentor Rabbi Martin A. Cohen, Ph.D.

Rabbi Martin A. Cohen, Ph.D. (1928-2026) was a distinguished historian, rabbi, and educator whose many decades of scholarship and teaching shaped generations of students at Hebrew Union College. Born in Philadelphia, he earned a B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania before receiving rabbinic ordination in 1957 and a Ph.D. from Hebrew Union College. A member of the Hebrew Union College faculty since 1955, he served the New York campus as the Adolph S. Ochs Professor of History from 1962 until his passing.

Rabbi Cohen was a beloved scholar and a recognized authority on Jewish history, theology, and Sephardic studies. His publications included The Martyr, Two Sister Faiths, Sephardim in the Americas (a special double issue of the American Jewish Archives journal), and a celebrated English translation of Samuel Usque's Consolation for the Tribulations of Israel. He also held visiting professorships at institutions including Antioch College, Temple University, and Hunter College.

We remember Rabbi Cohen for his intellectual rigor, his devotion to Jewish learning, and his lasting contributions to the field. A more extensive biography is available on our website.

Rabbi Cohen was a member of Stephen Wise Free Synagogue for decades, where he served as interim rabbi and was later named rabbi laureate of the congregation. He was predeceased by his beloved wife, Shelby Cohen, z"l, and is survived by his daughter, Anita Rogers.

A funeral will be held on Wednesday, January 28, at 2:00 p.m. at Stephen Wise Free Synagogue in New York. The service will be livestreamed. Shiva will take place immediately following the service at the synagogue. Interment will be held on Sunday, February 1, at 11:00 a.m. at Westchester Hills Cemetery in Hastings-on-Hudson, New York.

Letters and notes of condolence may be sent to:

Anita Rogers Cohen
c/o Stephen Wise Free Synagogue
30 West 68th Street
New York, NY 10023

Donations in Rabbi Cohen's memory may be made to Stephen Wise Free Synagogue.

May his memory be for a blessing.