Rabbi Cohen’s respect for others earned him their respect, according to Mrs. Rothenberg.
“He was a silken man, made of the finest fibers, who would never put anyone down, no matter what,” noted Mrs. Rothenberg.
Even during his illness, Rabbi Cohen remained upbeat and positive.
“I never once heard a complaint from him,” said Mrs. Rothenberg. “He made himself secondary, always putting his wife first, insisting she go rest and saying constantly, ‘I’m fine. I’m going to beat this.’”
After taking a vacation with his wife to Israel last summer, Rabbi Cohen shared a special moment of his trip with Mrs. Rothenberg and her husband, Paul.
“He couldn’t stop telling us about how they were walking home one night said Mrs. Rothenberg. “Shoshana was in a wheelchair and a group of yeshiva guys walked them home, singing Eishes Chayil to her as they walked through the streets. So many people stopped and started to dance with them. It meant so much to him because he wanted her to feel special.”
Even in his final days Rabbi Cohen insisted on putting his wife’s welfare before his own, according to Judah Cohen who, at this father’s request, assembled his medical team to decide if he should recuperate at home or in a rehabilitation center after a recent surgery.
“He told the doctors, ‘Let me tell you one thing. I don’t care about my own health. It if will bring comfort to my wife knowing that I am home, I will go home, even if it is to my detriment.’”
A day before his death, the Rothenbergs, who were in close contact with Mrs. Cohen, assured her that her husband’s health would improve and they would all be spending the yomim tovim together again at the Palm Beach Synagogue.
“Her words were so prophetic,” said Mrs. Rothenberg. “She said, ‘But the Rabbi really wants to go to Israel. He loves Eretz Yisrael.’”
Rabbi Cohen died the next day, July 8, and was buried in Israel at the Eretz Hachaim cemetery in Beit Shemesh. In addition to his wife he is survived by his brother Rabbi Chaim Zalman Cohen; his children, Malki Cohen, Matis Cohen, Judah Cohen and Deena Shiff; and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
“In my mind’s eye I will always see Rabbi Cohen smiling and deep in Torah thoughts,” said Mrs. Mauer. “His passing leaves a big void in the Torah world.”
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‘A True Friend To Anyone Who Sought Him Out’
Jewish Press Torah Editor Rabbi Yaakov Klass enjoyed a close working and personal relationship with Rabbi Jack Simcha Cohen. He offered some reminiscences:
It started out as a simple e-mail correspondence and ended up as a strong friendship. Every few weeks HaRav Cohen would send a number of his Halachic Questions columns for my perusal. At times there were matters that needed clarification, and from that was born a long friendship (and mentorship as well).
Our phone conversations generally lasted well over an hour, with many a chiddush – novel interpretation – bandied back and forth. I so looked forward to those conversations and surely by osmosis if nothing else some of his thoughts made its way into my writings and vice versa.
As reflected in his writings, he could travel easily from the world of HaRav Yitzchak Hutner to that of HaRav Joseph B. Soloveitchik. Additionally, he was always in awe of his late father-in-law, HaRav Yaakov Nayman, whom he would unhesitatingly quote at every opportunity. In matters of psak, “koach d’heteira adif” – finding the lenient ruling – was always a consideration.
The greatest compliment he could have given me was that he enjoyed talking to me as he did with my late uncle HaRav Sholom Klass. I always wondered whether our long conversations were a bit burdensome or took too much of his time. It wasn’t until the shiva call my cousin, Naomi Klass Mauer, and I made to his family that I discovered, when talking to his dear rebbetzin Shoshana, that he enjoyed the calls and indeed looked forward to them.
