For Sophie Cohen, Baltimore Hebrew Congregation’s new director of development, the best part of her job is hearing from congregants.
“I love getting to know people. I love hearing their stories. I love hearing why Baltimore Hebrew is important to them,” she said.
Cohen, a Pikesville resident, has worked in the Jewish communal world for about three years now. “I really believe that you do your best work when you choose career paths that you’re passionate about. The nonprofit world really does that for me. I know that what I do impacts individuals in meaningful ways, impacts organizations in meaningful ways, and that brings me joy in return,” she said.
Cohen, a second-generation immigrant with Russian parents, said that despite her parents’ upbringing, they made sure to provide her with a connection to her Judaism growing up.
“They came in 1979 from an environment where practicing your Judaism, expressing your Judaism and being public about your Judaism was frowned upon,” she said. “Often, you had fewer opportunities because of it. So, my parents fled because of that.”
However, today, Cohen said she’s proud to be Jewish now more than ever. “In this post-Oct. 7 era, the sense of pride I have for being Jewish has grown.”
Born and raised in Pikesville, Cohen graduated from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County with a degree in sociology. After graduating, she worked in human resources and then real estate, but she said she wasn’t passionate about the work.
“I enjoyed elements of it certainly … working with people, problem solving and advocating for my clients, but it wasn’t where my heart was,” she said.
Cohen found her way to the Jewish nonprofit space, eventually working for Jewish Community Services in resource development and as program director for Seeds of Hope, a program for families experiencing infertility and other family-building challenges.
While working at JCS, Cohen said she got involved in Baltimore Hebrew first as a congregant. “So, a friend of mine that heads up the annual campaign committee asked if I wanted to go ahead and be on the committee. And I said, ‘Sure, why not? I’m happy to.’”
So when the director of development position at Baltimore Hebrew opened up, she knew she would be a great fit.
“After working at JCS, I really loved the nonprofit world, and Baltimore Hebrew is just a special place,” said Cohen. “It was really interesting and wonderful how it all kind of came together when it did.”
On Nov. 24, Cohen started her position at Baltimore Hebrew. She said her husband’s family has been members of the synagogue for generations and, in 2009, Rabbi Andrew Busch at Baltimore Hebrew officiated her wedding.
“The congregants are amazing. The clergy is amazing. BHC is just an incredibly welcoming and inclusive space,” she said. “I thought I would be able to make a difference, and was excited by the opportunity to get involved in BHC, not just as a congregant but as a staff member.”
For Cohen, working in the Jewish community makes her feel more connected.
“There’s a spectrum in how connected people are to their Judaism … how observant they are, but there are still these core values and this love that exists within the Jewish community that is undeniable, and I feel so fortunate to be able to be immersed in this world both personally and professionally,” she said. “There’s just this warmth that exists in Jewish organizations, a sense of family and belonging.”
