Rabbi Douglas Kohn became the fifth Rabbi of San Bernardino’s 150 year-old Congregation Emanu El in 2001, coming from Illinois where he had been Rabbi of Hoffman Estate’s Beth Tikvah Congregation for seven years. Previously, Rabbi Kohn was Assistant and Associate Rabbi of large, east coast synagogues. At Congregation Emanu El, Rabbi Kohn has invigorated Israel programming, generated creative festival observance, introduced conversational Hebrew and family education in the Religious School, and developed communal study programs.

Especially concerned with social justice, community relations and Israel, Rabbi Kohn served for eight years on the Reform Movement’s National Commission on Social Action, and as a member of the National Board of ARZA – the Association of Reform Zionists of America. In 2006, Rabbi Kohn was an ARZA delegate to the 35^th World Zionist Congress in Jerusalem, at which he participated in deliberations, debate and decision-making on the future of Zionism. A speaker at national and regional conferences, especially on Israel matters and teaching Hebrew, Rabbi Kohn also has taught “Judaism” and “The Holocaust” at local colleges.

Locally, Rabbi Kohn is involved in community life. He regularly is a speaker or participant in community events, and has spoken or taught at the University of Redlands, California State University San Bernardino and Loma Linda University. Rabbi Kohn serves on the boards of several local and regional organizations, including the Arrowhead United Way, and is a Past President of the San Bernardino Clergy Association.

Rabbi Kohn graduated from Antioch College in Yellow Springs, OH, in 1981, and received his Masters Degree in Hebrew Letters from the Hebrew Union College (Los Angeles) in 1985. Rabbi Kohn was ordained at the Hebrew Union College (Cincinnati) in 1987. He has published numerous popular articles in the press and in Jewish periodicals, and in his academic interest, American Jewish archives and history, and is “foreign correspondent” for the San Bernardino Sun, as he has written several feature series in his travels to Israel and Europe.

After his diagnosis and treatment for cancer in 2004-2005, Rabbi Kohn edited a book on Judaism and cancer, published in 2008 by URJ Press. Titled Life, Faith and Cancer: Jewish Journeys through Diagnosis, Treatment and Recovery, the book includes the stories and teachings of Rabbi Kohn and eighteen other Jewish religious leaders who also have, or have had, cancer. In 2008 and 2009, Rabbi Kohn has traveled widely to speak on the themes of the book, and to bring a voice of support to the Jewish cancer community. As well, Rabbi Kohn is a contributing author of a new textbook, World Religions for Healthcare Professionals (Routledge Press, 2009), and also speaks on Judaism and health issues.

Rabbi Kohn is married to Susan Reva Bloom, a Holistic Health Practitioner, and is the father of two children, Benjamin and Elena. He resides in Redlands, CA.

Rabbi Hillel Cohn served as rabbi of Congregation Emanu El in San Bernardino from 1963 to 2001. He is now Rabbi Emeritus of the congregation. A native of Germany, he was brought to the United States as an infant by his parents who were refugees from Nazism. Rabbi Cohn grew up in the Pacific Northwest and Southern California. He received a B.A. in Political Science from UCLA in 1959. His rabbinical training was received at Hebrew Union College in Los Angeles and Cincinnati where he was ordained as a rabbi in 1963 and received a Master of Arts degree. He earned a Doctor of Ministry degree from the Claremont School of Theology in 1984 specializing in ethics and communication. In 1988 he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree by the Hebrew Union College.

Rabbi Cohn came to Congregation Emanu El in 1963 to serve as assistant rabbi with Rabbi Norman F. Feldheym. In 1964 he was named co-rabbi. Upon the retirement of Rabbi Feldheym in 1971 Rabbi Cohn became the senior rabbi of the congregation. During his tenure he compiled numerous prayer books, oversaw the construction of the Norman F. Feldheym Religious Education Center and wrote two national award-winning curriculums for the congregation’s Jewish education program. On the occasion of his 25^th year of service to the congregation the Social Hall was named the Rabbi Hillel Cohn Social Hall. The Rabbi Hillel Cohn Endowment Fund was also established in his honor. Upon his retirement in June, 2001 Sisterhood established the Rabbi Hillel and Rita Cohn Campership Fund.

Rabbi Cohn has been active in many community organizations in the San Bernardino area. He now serves on the Institutional Review Board at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center. He serves as a member of the Diocesan Health Care Committee of the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Bernardino. He was the founding chairperson of the City of San Bernardino Human Relations Commission and currently serves as a member of that commission. He produced and hosted “The Many Faces of San Bernardino: Dialogues on Diversity”, a regular half-hour program on KCSB (Channel 3). He was one of the founders of Inland Congregations United for Change (ICUC).

Rabbi Cohn served for a number of years on the National Commission on Rabbinic-Congregational Relations of the reform movement, mediating problems between congregations and rabbis. He was the editor of two publications on rabbinic contracts. From 1999-2001 Rabbi Cohn served as Treasurer of the Central Conference of American Rabbis, the national organization of reform rabbis. From 2001-2008 he served as editor of the CCAR Newsletter, the monthly publication of all reform rabbis in the world. He has served as president of the Pacific Association of Reform Rabbis and as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations. He is a past-president of the San Bernardino Clergy Association, the interdenominational ministerial group of the area. He is currently 1st vice-president of the National Association of Retired Reform Rabbis and serves as editor of its newsletter, Ohr L’Naorrr.

Among current activities he is the chair of the Inland and Desert Hillel Council which serves Jewish students of the region, chair of the Bicentennial Commission of the City of San Bernardino, board member of the San Bernardino City Library Foundation, advisory board member of the Morrow McCombs Memorial Lecture Committee, and board member of St. Bernardine Medical Center Foundation.

For the past 20 years he has been a member of the Priest-Rabbi Dialogue, a project jointly sponsored by the Archdioecese of Los Angeles and the Board of Rabbis of Southern California.

In 1996 Rabbi Cohn was one of 5,000 Americans honored for being a Community Hero by carrying the Olympic Torch. He recently received the "Man in the Spirit of Martin Luther King" Award from the African-American Churches of the Inland Empire and also received the Dale Evans-Roy Rogers Award for a Lifetime of Commitment to the Spirituality of Children from the Loma Linda University Medical Center. In 2001 he was the recipient of the Leaders of Distinction Lifetime Achievement Award from the Business Press of the Inland Empire. In 2007 he was named a Community Honoree by the Western Inland Empire Coalition Against Hate for his work in fighting hate and building inclusion.

A frequent participant on radio and television programs, Rabbi Cohn and Dr. William Loveless co-hosted and produced "Options", a series of televised conversations on contemporary moral and spiritual issue on the International 7^th Day Adventist Television Network.

From 2002-2007 Rabbi Cohn served as the interim rabbi of Adat Ari El, a reform synagogue in Las Vegas and wrote a regular column for the Las Vegas Israelite. He currently serves as part-time rabbi of Sun City Jewish Congregation in Palm Desert.

Rabbi Cohn continues to be called on frequently to speak to religious and civic groups locally and throughout the nation. He is the author of Haggadah for Passover. His sermons have been published regularly in various publications.

Rabbi Cohn and his wife Rita live in San Bernardino. They have two children, Elana Cohn-Rozansky and Marc Cohn and four grandchildren, Jeremy and Adam Rozansky and Sarah and Leah Cohn.

Cantor Bern-Vogel recently relocated to Southern California from Norfolk, Virginia, where she had served the historic Ohef Sholom Temple as Cantor since 1996.  In Norfolk, aside from leading Services and training B’nai Mitzvah, Cantor Bern-Vogel  also founded a youth choir, created award-winning education programs, taught at regional kallot, and created a Children’s Holocaust Memorial Garden.

The daughter of Holocaust survivors, Cantor Bern-Vogel is accomplished in

Yiddish and German, and founded the Jewish music trio, "L'Chaim", touring extensively across Germany.  As well, Cantor Bern-Vogel has performed in concerts throughout Virginia, and beyond.

A graduate of Beloit College in Wisconsin, and the School of Sacred Music of Hebrew Union College, Cantor Bern-Vogel also has certification in pastoral care, and has studied with the Jewish Institute of Spirituality.

We delight to welcome Cantor Jennifer Bern-Vogel to Congregation Emanu El, and wish her joy and fulfillment in serving our community.