Jack "J." Simcha Cohen was an "18th consecutive communal rabbi in his family" and "the face of Orthodox Judaism" to a TV program "viewed by millions each week." He held positions in New York, New Jersey, California and Australia, with his "final position in the rabbinate" in Florida. Cohen, who died on his 78th birthday, was also a long time columnist in The Jewish Press and the author of several books. His first involvement in Jewish public life had been with National Council of Synagogue Youth.
Education
He attended public school during his early elementary years while studying with his father, rabbi of an Orthodox synagogue in Asbury Park, New Jersey. His formal education continued at Yeshiva Chaim Berlin from which he received rabbinical ordination. His use of "J. Simcha" and "Jack Simcha" can be traced to marrying Shoshana Nayman during his postgraduate studies, and his father-in-law's first name Yaakov, being the same as his.
Cohen was their first executive director. Although known by shorter names, the full name was "Metropolitan New York Coordinating Council on Jewish Poverty."
He was described by the Los Angeles Times as "Orthodox Rabbi Jack Simcha Cohen, 50, spiritual leader of Congregation Shaarei Tefila in Los Angeles" when he became president of the Board of Rabbis of Southern California. The newspaper described the board as a "240-member body dominated by rabbis from the Reform and Conservative branches." Cohen served the synagogue for 18 years.
Australia
His involvement in the Jewish community of Melbourne, Australia included synagogue rabbi and kashrus supervision. He arrived there in 1996; shortly after he died, an Australian rabbi/educator wrote about his "pleasant disposition.. a professional American style Rabbi with lots of grandeur."
Florida (final position in the rabbinate)
After leaving Australia Cohen became the rabbi of Congregation Aitz Chaim, in West Palm Beach. As of that time, he had authored six books. While in Florida he continued writing his Jewish Press column, but also began contributing to a 2007-founded Torah weblog, Jewish Ideas.
Jewish Press column
His Halachic Questions column originated when a future associate editor of The Jewish Press, while vacationing in Los Angeles, met and encouraged Cohen to talk with the New York-based paper's co-founder Sholom Klass. The latter two met when Cohen was visiting New York. He began "to write a weekly halacha column" for which "the final installment.. appeared in the paper.. days before his death." Some topics were tip-of-the-iceberg.
Books
Cohen, who was described as "a Talmud scholar and prolific author" authored:
Intermarriage and Conversion: A Halakhic Solution
The 613th Commandment: An Analysis of the Mitzvah to Write a Sefer Torah
