Notable Publication
"Generation Birthright Israel: The Impact of an Israel Experience on Jewish Identity and Choices" finds that a 10-day educational program in Israel continues to build Jewish identity years after the participants have returned. This study examines early participants (comparing them to similar peers who applied to the program but did not go) and their decisions and attitudes regarding marriage, community, and connection to Israel.
Welcome to the Cohen Center
The Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies, founded in 1980, is a preeminent center for the social-scientific study of contemporary Jewish life. Faculty and staff from a number of disciplines, along with graduate and undergraduate students, conduct a broad range of studies of Jewish life that inform scholarly understanding of contemporary Jewry and influence Jewish communal policies. The center’s recent work includes path-breaking studies of Jewish education and Jewish identity.
In recent years, the Cohen Center has extended its reach by becoming the home to two new research-and-training institutes—the Steinhardt Social Research Institute and the Fisher-Bernstein Institute for Jewish Philanthropy and Leadership. Steinhardt and Fisher-Bernstein share the Cohen Center’s dedication to understanding contemporary Jewry and making scholarship available to academics, students, and policy-makers.
As the Jewish communities in North America and around the world evolve, the Cohen Center will continue to be centrally involved in understanding those changes and shaping policy.