Welcome - getting to know me, Rabbi Mark Strauss Cohn, and my view along the Judaic Path
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What most attracts you to your chosen path?
I have always been a Jew. I’ve never really had a chance (or at times even a desire) to know much about other ‘ways’ of life. I was born a Jew. I live my life as one. And I have every intention to stay one until I leave this world. There is no separating my being Jewish from who and what I am. Of course, I’m a rabbi and you might expect that kind of statement from me – but there is more to it than might initially meet the eye. See, being a rabbi is really secondary to my being Jewish. A rabbi is a teacher and a guide through Jewish text and time. We help individuals as they navigate the waters of Jewish life.
What is the goal of your spiritual practice? Do you consider this the goal of life?
The goal of my spiritual practice is (hmmm…what is spiritual practice, anyway?) to live an upright and sacred life. These are my goals in life: to be a supportive and good family member (as a son, brother, husband, father), to leave this world a better place than when I arrived, to pursue justice, to respect all of God’s creation and creatures, and most importantly: to be kind.
What is the predominant spiritual practice you use right now in your life and how do you see it benefiting yourself and your interactions with others?
Singing is really important to me. I'm not the greatest of singers but I enjoy being in a crowd of people who sing. We sing a lot in the temple and when people sing together and there is meaningful music, I am most certainly taken to a higher plane.
Judaism certainly has 'spirituality' in it - but being Jewish is more than just that spiritual path. To me, being Jewish is how I think, it's how I vote, it's the humor I enjoy, it's even in the way I speak at times. Being Jewish manifests itself in what I put on my doorways (a mezuzah - the box and parchment from Torah as commanded in Deuteronomy), to what I eat and the names my wife and I chose for our children.
What is the teaching or story from your tradition that has had the greatest impact on how you live your life?
Judaism is roughly 3,000 years old and the number of teachings are so great that it is nearly impossible for me to narrow this discussion down to just one that has had “the greatest impact on my life”. Depending on the value, I can find a powerful story.
As I often do, allow me to rely on one of the great rabbinic lessons from the early Middle Ages. When discussing the “greatest lesson of Torah (Five Books of Moses)” one rabbi announces, “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18). After all, if we all follow that teaching, life would be good for one and all. The challenge with that text is you first have to know what it is to love and to love yourself.
Another rabbi announces, “These are the generations of Adam.” (Genesis 5:1). From this line, we learn that we are all created from one set of parents (Adam & Eve). And, therefore, no one can say, “My parents are better than your parents.” We all descend from one Creation and are all brothers and sisters…and therefore you shall love one another. This doesn’t mean that we will always get along (like family) but we need to honor and respect and help each other as go journey in this life together.
So the rabbis of old leave the decision to us. As a rabbi, it is not for me to directly steer a person's life but rather give a multiple number of ideas from which you can choose.
That being said, I have a deep connection to the land and people of Israel, I am personally inspired by Theodore Herzl, the lead organizer of modern Zionists in the 1890s that ultimately led to the creation of the modern state of Israel, who said, Im tirtzu, ain zo agadah - If you will it, it is no dream
I have always been a Jew. I’ve never really had a chance (or at times even a desire) to know much about other ‘ways’ of life. I was born a Jew. I live my life as one. And I have every intention to stay one until I leave this world. There is no separating my being Jewish from who and what I am. Of course, I’m a rabbi and you might expect that kind of statement from me – but there is more to it than might initially meet the eye. See, being a rabbi is really secondary to my being Jewish. A rabbi is a teacher and a guide through Jewish text and time. We help individuals as they navigate the waters of Jewish life.
What is the goal of your spiritual practice? Do you consider this the goal of life?
The goal of my spiritual practice is (hmmm…what is spiritual practice, anyway?) to live an upright and sacred life. These are my goals in life: to be a supportive and good family member (as a son, brother, husband, father), to leave this world a better place than when I arrived, to pursue justice, to respect all of God’s creation and creatures, and most importantly: to be kind.
What is the predominant spiritual practice you use right now in your life and how do you see it benefiting yourself and your interactions with others?
Singing is really important to me. I'm not the greatest of singers but I enjoy being in a crowd of people who sing. We sing a lot in the temple and when people sing together and there is meaningful music, I am most certainly taken to a higher plane.
Judaism certainly has 'spirituality' in it - but being Jewish is more than just that spiritual path. To me, being Jewish is how I think, it's how I vote, it's the humor I enjoy, it's even in the way I speak at times. Being Jewish manifests itself in what I put on my doorways (a mezuzah - the box and parchment from Torah as commanded in Deuteronomy), to what I eat and the names my wife and I chose for our children.
What is the teaching or story from your tradition that has had the greatest impact on how you live your life?
Judaism is roughly 3,000 years old and the number of teachings are so great that it is nearly impossible for me to narrow this discussion down to just one that has had “the greatest impact on my life”. Depending on the value, I can find a powerful story.
As I often do, allow me to rely on one of the great rabbinic lessons from the early Middle Ages. When discussing the “greatest lesson of Torah (Five Books of Moses)” one rabbi announces, “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18). After all, if we all follow that teaching, life would be good for one and all. The challenge with that text is you first have to know what it is to love and to love yourself.
Another rabbi announces, “These are the generations of Adam.” (Genesis 5:1). From this line, we learn that we are all created from one set of parents (Adam & Eve). And, therefore, no one can say, “My parents are better than your parents.” We all descend from one Creation and are all brothers and sisters…and therefore you shall love one another. This doesn’t mean that we will always get along (like family) but we need to honor and respect and help each other as go journey in this life together.
So the rabbis of old leave the decision to us. As a rabbi, it is not for me to directly steer a person's life but rather give a multiple number of ideas from which you can choose.
That being said, I have a deep connection to the land and people of Israel, I am personally inspired by Theodore Herzl, the lead organizer of modern Zionists in the 1890s that ultimately led to the creation of the modern state of Israel, who said, Im tirtzu, ain zo agadah - If you will it, it is no dream
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