Dan Cohn-Sherbok


Dan Mark Cohn-Sherbok is a rabbi of Reform Judaism and a Jewish theologian. He is professor emeritus of Judaism at the University of Wales.

Early life and education

Born into a Jewish family on February 1, 1945 in Denver, Colorado, Cohn-Sherbok was the son of Bernard Sherbok, an orthopedic surgeon, and Ruth Sherbok. His family roots were in New York City and Hungary. He graduated from East High School (Denver) and was a student at Williams College, Massachusetts, spending a junior year abroad in Athens, Greece.
Cohn-Sherbok was conceived through sperm donation and artificial insemination at the University of Chicago Medical School. In interviews he has expressed gratitude for his conception and said learning of it in his twenties clarified his strained relationship with his father. However, he has also described his discovery as "traumatic" and said that it initially caused confusion about his identity.

Career

He was ordained a Reform rabbi at the Hebrew Union College at Cincinnati. He was a Chaplain of the Colorado House of Representative, and Honorary Colonel Aide-de-Camp of New Mexico. He has served as a rabbi in the United States, England, Australia and South Africa. He was a student at Wolfson College, Cambridge. He received a doctorate in philosophy from the University of Cambridge in England. Later, he received an honorary doctorate in divinity from the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, New York City. He taught theology at the University of Kent and served as director of the Centre for the Study of Religion and Society, and was Professor of Judaism at the University of Wales. He has served as visiting professor at University of Essex, Middlesex University, St. Andrews University, Durham University, University of Vilnius, Lithuania, Charles University, Prague, York St John University, Trinity University College, St Mary's University, Twickenham, New Saint Andrews College and Honorary Professor at Aberystwyth University.
He has been a visiting fellow at Wolfson College, Cambridge, and Harris Manchester College, Oxford, a Fellow of the Royal Asiatic Society, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, a Corresponding Fellow of the Academy of Jewish Philosophy, a visiting research fellow of Heythrop College, University of London, a Life Member of Wolfson College, Cambridge, an Honorary Senior Member of Darwin College, University of Kent, an Associate Member of the SCR Christ Church, Oxford, a Member of the SCR Harris Manchester College, Oxford, President of the London Society for the Study of Religion and Member of the Arts and Humanities Peer Review College. He has also served as a visiting scholar of Mansfield College, Oxford, the Oxford Centre for Postgraduate Hebrew Studies and Sarum College. He was a finalist of the Times Preacher of the Year, and winner of the Royal Academy Friends design competition. He is a member of the Oxford and Cambridge Club and the Athenaeum.

Controversial views

Cohn-Sherbok has written and lectured on a number of provocative topics that have stirred controversy in the broader Jewish community, including the legitimacy of Messianic Judaism, the equal standing of Humanistic Judaism with other Jewish movements, the purported benefits of Antisemitism, and the growing influence of Christian Zionism.

Personal life

He is married to Lavinia Cohn-Sherbok.

Works

Cohn-Sherbok is the author and editor of over 100 books which have been translated into Russian, Greek, Bulgarian, Hebrew, French, Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, Chinese, Swedish, Japanese, Romanian, Turkish, Persian and German. He has also illustrated 25 books with cartoons and has contributed cartoons to books and magazines. His books include:
  • ———- Cohn-Sherbok, Lewis, Christopher, Interfaith Worship and Prayer, JKP. ISBN 978-1-78592-120-9.
  • ———- Cohn-Sherbok, Dan, Cardozo Kindersley, Lida, The Alphabetician and the Rabbi, Cardozo Kindersley.
  • ———- Cohn-Sherbok, Cave, Peter, Arguing About Judaism, Routledge. ISBN 978-0-367-33406-2
  • ———- Cohn-Sherbok, Grant, Kevin, The Animal Orchestra, Words. ISBN 978-0-9529352-3-0.
  • ———- Cohn-Sherbok, Dan, Jews and Jokes, Impress Books
  • ———- Cohn-Sherbok, Dan, Antisemitism, The History Press
  • ———— Cohn-Sherbok, Dan, Chryssides, George, The Covid Pandemic and the World's Religions, Bloomsbury
  • ———— Cohn-Sherbok, Dan, Oxford and Cambridge Club Jigsaws, ISSUU
  • ————- Cohn-Sherbok, Dan, The Athenaeum, ISSUU
  • ———— Cohn-Sherbok, Dan, Grant, Kevin, Bible Jigsaws, ISSUU
  • ———— Cohn-Sherbok, Dan, Jew Hatred, ISSUU
  • ———— Cohn-Sherbok, Dan, Defining Antisemitism, ISSUU
  • ————, Cohn-Sherbok, Dan, The Bible and the Holy Land, ISSUU