In mid-March, Gary P. Zola, an author and historian of American Jewry who specializes in the development of American Reform Judaism, spoke at the second annual Rabbi Hillel Cohn Endowed Lecture, which works to enhance an understanding of different cultures and religions, and to celebrate the Jewish contribution to society.  Zola’s talk, “He was one of us: The Judaization of Abraham Lincoln,” focused on how history has shown that certain members of the Jewish community consider Abraham Lincoln to be one of their own. 

“Not only have American Jews venerated this man,” Zola said, “but what I found in my research is that something very unique happens; they try hard to, if you will, Judaize Abraham Lincoln, and the Judaization of Abraham Lincoln is something that begins while he’s president and continues on to this day.” Zola is the author of several published volumes, such as “We Called Him Rabbi Abraham: Lincoln and American Jewry, a Documentary History.” He is also the executive director of the Jacob Rader Marcus Center of the American Jewish Archives and the Edward M. Ackerman Family Distinguished Professor of the American Jewish Experience and Reform Jewish History at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR) in Cincinnati.  Cohn, the lecture’s namesake, has been active in many San Bernardino-area organizations, served as rabbi of Congregation Emanu El in San Bernardino from 1963 to 2001, and returned to lead the congregation from 2014 to 2015, while they sought a new rabbi.  Cohn, who was one of six inductees selected for the CSUSB College of Social and Behavioral College’s Hall of Fame in 2014, also serves on the Institutional Review Board at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center and 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.