Rabbi Dr. Aryeh Cohen is a distinguished scholar, educator, and social justice advocate based in Los Angeles. He serves as Professor of Rabbinic Literature at the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies at American Jewish University, where he has taught for over two decades and previously chaired the Rabbinics Department. His academic work delves into Talmudic literature, Jewish ethics, and the intersection of classical texts with contemporary social justice issues.
Dr. Cohen earned his Ph.D. in Near Eastern and Judaic Studies from Brandeis University and received rabbinic ordination from the Ziegler School. He also holds a B.A. in Philosophy and Jewish Thought from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. His publications include Justice in the City: An Argument from the Sources of Rabbinic Judaism and Rereading Talmud: Gender, Law, and the Poetics of Sugyot.
Beyond academia, Rabbi Cohen is deeply involved in activism. He is a co-convener of the Black Jewish Justice Alliance and a member of Clergy for Black Lives. From 2016 to 2022, he served as Rabbi in Residence at Bend the Arc: Jewish Action. He currently serves as president of the Society for Jewish Ethics and is a commissioner on the Los Angeles City Ethics Commission. He also hosts the weekly Talmud podcast Daf Shvui.