KOGEN, (Chaim) DAVID

KOGEN, (Chaim ) DAVID (1919–2005), teacher and administrator in the Conservative movement. Born in Rutki, Poland, Kogen came to the United States in 1928 at the age of nine and was raised in Cleveland, Ohio. After earning his bachelor's degree at the University of Chicago in 1942, he was ordained a rabbi at the Jewish Theological Seminary in 1946.

Although Kogen spent the bulk of his career in education and administration, the beginning of his career was in the rabbinate serving as a congregational leader. He moved to Vancouver, British Columbia, upon receiving his rabbinical ordination. There, he founded and directed the B'nai Brith Hillel Foundation at the University of British Columbia while simultaneously serving as the spiritual leader of Congregation Beth Israel. After returning to New York City in 1956, Kogen served as the visiting rabbi at the Park Avenue Synagogue until 1957, temporarily replacing the recently deceased Milton *Steinberg, after which he spent one year at Temple Ansche Chesed.

He devoted the first 10 years of his rabbinical career to Jewish and general community leadership in Canada. He was involved in many local community service organizations, including the Jewish Family Welfare Bureau and the Institute for Church and Social Service Workers.

After spending 12 years as a congregational rabbi, Kogen directed his energies towards leadership of the Conservative movement itself. In the United Synagogue of America, Kogen served as a member of the Committee on Congregational Standards and as director of community activities. In the Rabbinical Assembly, he served temporarily as executive vice president during Rabbi Wolfe Kelman's sabbatical. He was also a member of the ra'S Executive Council and the Membership Committee.

In 1958, Kogen joined the faculty of Jewish Theological Seminary. He was assistant to the vice chancellor until 1966, after which time he became the administrative vice chancellor himself. He was a director and teacher of liturgy in the Cantors Institute-Seminary College of Jewish Music. He also taught a practical rabbinics class on the ritual and administrative skills of congregational life. He was chairman of the department of professional skills, and director of the Graduate School of Humanities.

[Aaron Shub (2^nd ed.)]