Rabbi Abba Cohen | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Vice President for Government Affairs ofAgudath Israel of America | |
| Assumed office February 2019 (2019-02) | |
| Director of Washington Office ofAgudath Israel of America | |
| Assumed office May 1989 (1989-05) | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1955 or 1956 (age 68–69) |
| Education | |
Abba Cohen (born 1955 or 1956[1]) is an American rabbi who serves as Vice President for Government Affairs and Washington Office director ofAgudath Israel of America.[2] He acts as an advocate for theOrthodox Jewish community in Washington, D.C., and has worked with seven presidential administrations and 19Congresses.[3]
Cohen attendedJohns Hopkins University, where he received hisBachelor of Science degree, theColumbia University School of International Affairs, where he received hisgraduate degree ofMaster of International Affairs, andGeorgetown University Law Center, where he received hisJuris Doctor.[1][2] He also received aBachelor of Talmudic Law andrabbinic ordination from theNer Israel Rabbinical College.[2]
He began his career at theAnti-Defamation League as an Associate in the Latin American Affairs Department from 1979 to 1981. From 1981 to 1985, he was Assistant Director in the Middle Eastern Affairs Department,[2] after which he joined Agudath Israel of America.[1] In May 1989,[4][5] he was appointed as its Washington Office director byMoshe Sherer.[6][7] In February 2019, he was appointed to the wider position of Vice President for Government Affairs.[6][8]
Cohen's work focuses on issues such asreligious freedom, yeshiva education, and combatingantisemitism.[3][9] His efforts have increased awareness about the needs and concerns of Orthodox Jewry within the federal government.[3]
Cohen was honored by theTransportation Security Administration in 2016 for helping to "enhance the traveler experience and ensure the traveling public is treated in a fair and lawful manner by educating the workforce about assisting the Jewish community."[10]
In June 2015, Cohen was appointed as a member of theU.S. Commission for the Preservation of America's Heritage Abroad by PresidentBarack Obama.[4][11] In January 2021, he was appointed to serve on theDepartment of Homeland Security's Faith-Based Security Advisory Council.[12][13]
In February 2025, the Agudah announced Cohen would be stepping down from the organization.[3]