Today, we’d like to introduce you to Rabbi Jaclyn Cohen.
Hi Rabbi Jaclyn, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was born and raised in Los Angeles, the child of two New Yorkers who sought new opportunities and warmer weather on the West Coast. My mom was a working actress for several years, which undoubtedly influenced my love of performing.
Though I sang in my elementary school’s chorus from fourth grade onward, it was while preparing for my Bat Mitzvah in seventh grade that we realized I could really sing. I loved the experience of becoming a Bat Mitzvah; it was transformative and deeply spiritual for me, even at thirteen years old. From that moment, I felt called to become clergy.
While music was always the foundation, my curiosity expanded far beyond. Two years after graduating from UC Davis as a religious studies major, I entered Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion’s rabbinical program. Fast forward to 2018, when I was hired in a mainly musical role at Temple Isaiah in West LA. This summer, I begin my seventh year at Isaiah, now as Associate Rabbi.
Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
My journey has been filled with unexpected pivots that turned out to be great blessings.
From graduate school rejection (which eventually led me to rabbinical school) to calling off a wedding to my college sweetheart (which eventually led me to my husband of 11 years) to suffering severe postpartum depression & anxiety following the birth of our first child (which eventually led me to deliver a sermon that changed the direction of my rabbinate), each bump in the road has helped make me more resilient as a rabbi, a mother, a wife: a full, authentic human being.
Being willing to share my stories of strength and vulnerability with others has deepened and enriched my connections in ways I could never have imagined.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Serving as a congregational rabbi is an extraordinary gift, one I do not take for granted. I am part of people’s lives at every age and life stage, part of a dynamic, loving community filled with remarkable people. Temple Isaiah is a place that is vibrant, creative, and highly musical.
Long before I started working at Isaiah, I was so inspired by their clergy team; everything they put out into the world, from sermons to songs to parody videos, was so high quality, accessible, and meaningful. Our motto is “your home at the intersection of tradition and innovation,” and I feel that it really captures everything we do.
We root ourselves in Jewish ritual as we breathe new life into it. We lean hard into our Jewish joy – which is so incredibly important, especially now. I’m proud of how hard we work to try to connect everyone, from our infants to our elders to their Judaism.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://templeisaiah.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/templeisaiahla/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Temple.Isaiah.LA
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@templeisaiahlosangeles/videos
Image Credits
Brandon Kidd, Alison Smiley, Kiel Rucker, and Mike Dennis
