Rabbi Samuel M. Cohon, Senior Rabbi 

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Rabbi Samuel M. Cohon became the Senior Rabbi at Temple Emanu-El in June of 1999, and brought vigor, excellence, depth, and joy to Arizona's first congregation.  Rabbi Cohon's rich heritage and knowledge of Judaism have dramatically enhanced the Temple's congregational life. In the past twelve years at Temple Emanu-El, Rabbi Cohon helped initiate the creation of the only Reform Jewish Early Childhood Education Center in Tucson (The Olga & Bob Strauss ECE), the writing of new Torahs in honor of Emanu-El's 90th and 100th anniversaries, and developed the Adult Education Academy, the largest, finest, and most comprehensive program of Adult Jewish education in Arizona, which serves over 1000 students every year. He has also spearheaded an outreach effort to unaffiliated Jews in Tucson, including the enormously popular Taste of Judaism series of courses which has taught over 4000 students, and the Northwest Halutzim Outreach Shabbat series, now celebrating 10 years of monthly Northwest services. He also created the Temple Emanu-El Youth and Teen Choirs, and the Avanim Rock Band. He also recorded 4 commercially-released CD’s of Jewish music, and edited and co-authored the "Promise Hagaddah" and the "Shabbat Reflections" prayerbook.

The "Too Jewish Radio Show with Rabbi Sam Cohon and Friends" airs on Sundays on KVOI 1030 AM and throughout the state, is now on its 10th year, and is one of the top-rated Jewish podcasts nationally at www.toojewishradio.com and on iTunes.

Rabbi Cohon became a certified Conservative cantor in 1987 (he is a member of the Cantors Assembly), and was ordained at Hebrew Union College in 1995. He is a third generation rabbi, following his grandfather who taught at HUC for 35 years, and authored the Columbus platform of the Reform movement, and his father, a prominent cantor at Reform and Conservative congregations for many years, and now an Orthodox rabbi.

Rabbi Cohon has been widely recognized for his contributions to the communities and congregations he has served. He is the founding chair of the Tucson Multi-Faith Alliance, and has served on the Metropolitan Education Commission, on the board of Handmaker, and Jewish Family & Childrens' Services, and a variety of national Jewish organizational boards. He has received variety of Jewish and secular awards as well. He brought spirit, joy and quality to Temple Emanu-El, resulting in an increase in membership from 350 to 700 families, as well as dramatically renewed enthusiasm and commitment among congregational members. Rabbi Cohon is married to Dr. Wendy S. Weise, Assistant Professor of English at the University of Arizona, and has two sons, Boaz and Gabriel, and a daughter, Cipora.