Phil Cohen grew up in the Philadelphia area of New Jersey with a basic suburban Jewish education. After college, he took the leftover money from his college fund and went to Israel, where he studied at a yeshiva, an Orthodox Jewish school.
âI wasnât directed enough from college to know what I wanted to do when I grew up,â he said.
Rabbi Phil Cohen, pictured Dec. 14, has been the interim rabbi since July at Congregation Beth Shalom. Because of the pandemic, Cohen has been broadcasting virtual services from the synagogue. Heâs invited some members to stay after Friday services for a virtual dinner together.Margo Wagner/Missourian