Rabbi Emily Cohen
@thatrabbicohen.bsky.social
5.3K followers 510 following 860 posts
Happy Brooklynite. Lefty in all the ways. Rabbi of West End Synagogue but views here are only my own (She/Her/Hers) www.rabbiemilycohen.com
Posts Media Videos Starter Packs
Pinned
thatrabbicohen.bsky.social
And for those who don't know me and ended up following by...chance? Algorithm? Recommendation? Idk how this works exactly... a tiny intro to me:

-rabbi
-brooklynite
-writer
-musician
-queer
-progressive
-(married) cat lady

website is www.rabbiemilycohen.com

my shul is West End Synagogue!
Rabbi Emily Cohen
www.rabbiemilycohen.com
Reposted by Rabbi Emily Cohen
newyorkstateag.bsky.social
This is nothing more than a continuation of the president’s desperate weaponization of our justice system.

I am not fearful — I am fearless.

We will fight these baseless charges aggressively, and my office will continue to fiercely protect New Yorkers and their rights..
thatrabbicohen.bsky.social
FWIW it is both possible and appropriate to be grateful for the possible freeing of the hostages and withdrawal from Gaza without praising Trump, Bibi or Hamas, none of whom cares about anything but keeping power.
thatrabbicohen.bsky.social
But honestly jwitter (RIP) helped me connect with so many progressive, activist Jews and allies all over the world. As awful as social media can be, in some ways it’s pretty miraculous.
thatrabbicohen.bsky.social
I got to open for @aoc.bsky.social at a breakfast because of some Twitter connections!

Also got to write for @teenvogue.com!

Also got an (unfortunately now-disgraced 🫣) author to write a b mitzvah message for a kid in my shul who was really having a tough time with the process
conradhackett.bsky.social
Has anything great happened in your life because of social media?
Reposted by Rabbi Emily Cohen
radleybalko.bsky.social
Nothing remotely resembling an insurrection is happening anywhere in the country. Any violence associated with protest has been isolated, mild, and, in nearly every case, instigated by federal law enforcement. If we let Trump get away with calling dissent an insurrection, our republic is over.
BREAKING: Trump Admin 'Seriously' Considering Using the Insurrection Act, Reports NBC
President Trump is "seriously" considering invoking the Insurrection Act in order to more easily deploy National Guard troops to major cities as part of crime crackdown, NBC reported on Wednesday
www.mediaite.com
thatrabbicohen.bsky.social
While we've passed the 2nd secular anniversary of October 7th, the Hebrew one— Simchat Torah— is next week. If this report is true, there will truly be reason to rejoice in community on Tuesday night.

Nothing can bring back the dead, but we can work to repair our world for the living.
Reposted by Rabbi Emily Cohen
olufemiotaiwo.bsky.social
repost this if an editor has ever saved you from yourself
blipstress.bsky.social
An actual hot take: Too many authors are afraid of editors watering down their voice or whatever and not afraid enough of editors letting you put any old slop on the page.
Reposted by Rabbi Emily Cohen
wajali.bsky.social
Toldya. He was seeing if he could get away with bombing Venezuelans, and now he's going to go after Americans.
premthakker.bsky.social
My gosh. After the US bombed multiple boats in the middle of the ocean, murdering people on grounds that they were allegedly "carrying drugs," the US Attorney General says "Just like we did with cartels, we're going to take the same approach, President Trump, with Antifa."
Reposted by Rabbi Emily Cohen
meganpiont.bsky.social
#NYC! We have an ICE Watch Hotline! I repeat, we have an ICE Watch hotline! I updated the zines to include the hotline #. FINALLY!!!

(If you have the old zines, you have my blessing to write the # in with a sharpie or pen.)

drive.google.com/file/d/1y2S_...
NYC-SALUTE-zine-10-6.pdf
drive.google.com
Reposted by Rabbi Emily Cohen
therealbrent.bsky.social
Heads up there’s an ICE checkpoint in Harlem right now apparently
Reposted by Rabbi Emily Cohen
clairewillett.bsky.social
it’s actually so insane that having a huge following, bringing tons of high-profile active users to the site, and generating exactly the kinds of lively and thoughtful conversations social media companies want to be perceived as facilitating makes you a bad guy here
Reposted by Rabbi Emily Cohen
amandasmith.bsky.social
Suspending Erin Biba, a Jewish woman for this skeet is nasty work. Between this and intentionally misreading Link’s use of a meme as a threat, bsky mods are more than willing to ban based on the Spirit Of The Law for *some* posters but never Jesse Singal.

bsky.app/profile/aman...
"All the Jews have to die or convert to trigger the rapture. Then our dead bodies surround Jerusalem and they climb over us to reach Jesus, who will bring them to heaven. It's why they're all Zionists obsessed with Israel.
Cause they need Jews to go there so we can die"
Reposted by Rabbi Emily Cohen
joelhs.bsky.social
Over the past days, a story broke finding 4 in 10 American Jews think Israel is committing genocide in Gaza: www.timesofisrael.com/poll-nearly-...

and another that Israel is investing millions in trying to court Christian support in the US: www.jta.org/2025/10/03/i...

This is the same story.
thatrabbicohen.bsky.social
Annnnnd between getting off Instagram at the start of Shabbat and coming back to it, the reel I posted with a clip from this sermon got me called a:

-kapo rabbi
-satanic cult [member I assume?]
-criminal war monger

This is apparently what nuance gets you in 2025
thatrabbicohen.bsky.social
I'm sharing my full Kol Nidre drash. I dive hard into Gaza. I've had sermons that were more difficult to write than this one but I've never had one that was this difficult to deliver. Thank you to @theradr.bsky.social and so many other colleagues for giving me the courage.
Reckoning Within: A New Ashamnu for Our Times
YouTube video by Rabbi Emily Cohen
www.youtube.com
thatrabbicohen.bsky.social
May the protestors in Chicago be safe.
May their care for their fellow human beings inspire a nation in desperate need of humanity.
May this be the worst it gets.

And if it must get worse
(for it will get worse)
May we cultivate strong wills and soft hearts.
And may we keep protesting.
thatrabbicohen.bsky.social
Three things to say to my fellow yid'n and allies:

1) Thank you for responding so kindly to my drash.

2) If your rabbi said something on the holidays that moved you, especially related to Israel/Gaza, please tell them because they're def gonna be hearing from people who were upset.

3) שבת שלום
Reposted by Rabbi Emily Cohen
ellearmageddon.bsky.social
certainly plenty of antisemites demand that anti-zionist jews pass purity tests before they’re willing to believe we deserve to be treated with a modicum of humanity (which is antisemitic)

but lots of antisemites — often the most violent of them — really don’t give a shit about our beliefs
thatrabbicohen.bsky.social
This does make me very sad, but it doesn't surprise me.

Too many people want someone to demonize.
maladroithe.bsky.social
I once pointed out there are many Jewish rites and ceremonies that can ONLY be performed in a group; and gentiles telling Jews to abstain from those rites and ceremonies if there isn’t a sufficiently anti-Zionist congregation in driving distance is insulting, and some dude called me a “z*o cunt”
jsx.bsky.social
1) my synagogue openly calls for an end to the genocide in Gaza, and it doesn't stop of us from receiving threats and requiring security.

2) "just don't go to the only synagogue(s) in your location on Yom Kippur" is a ridiculous ask of observant Jews.
thatrabbicohen.bsky.social
I appreciate this perspective a lot and I think that on-the-same-side disagreements are things that we are all going to have to get a lot better at navigating.

I also appreciate your noting the audience
Reposted by Rabbi Emily Cohen
jsx.bsky.social
1) my synagogue openly calls for an end to the genocide in Gaza, and it doesn't stop of us from receiving threats and requiring security.

2) "just don't go to the only synagogue(s) in your location on Yom Kippur" is a ridiculous ask of observant Jews.
Reposted by Rabbi Emily Cohen
mismatched.bsky.social
I know not everyone in my following list wants to hear or read this but it is beautifully put together, a blending of yom kippur liturgy and stark truths about gaza from a perspective of someone with hereditary jewish trauma who has had to unlearn a lot about Israel.
thatrabbicohen.bsky.social
I'm sharing my full Kol Nidre drash. I dive hard into Gaza. I've had sermons that were more difficult to write than this one but I've never had one that was this difficult to deliver. Thank you to @theradr.bsky.social and so many other colleagues for giving me the courage.
Reckoning Within: A New Ashamnu for Our Times
YouTube video by Rabbi Emily Cohen
www.youtube.com
Reposted by Rabbi Emily Cohen
heartbreak.one
I don't usually post about this on here...or anywhere...but, this is very good.
thatrabbicohen.bsky.social
I'm sharing my full Kol Nidre drash. I dive hard into Gaza. I've had sermons that were more difficult to write than this one but I've never had one that was this difficult to deliver. Thank you to @theradr.bsky.social and so many other colleagues for giving me the courage.
Reckoning Within: A New Ashamnu for Our Times
YouTube video by Rabbi Emily Cohen
www.youtube.com