Harmonizing Individualism and Collectivism in Judaism

In this episode, I sat down with Jack Cohen, Head of Jewish Education at Hebrew Academy high school in Miami Beach, to talk about what it really takes to lead and educate in today’s world. Jack didn’t come from the typical background—he grew up outside the traditional Jewish system and found his way into it later, which gives him a different lens. Where most people see a tug-of-war between individuality and tradition, Jack doesn’t. He sees them as deeply connected, even dependent on each other—and once he explains it, I doubt you’ll be able to see it any other way. His whole life and message are about harmony—Tiferet in its truest sense. Not by accident, but through both the circumstances life handed him and the intentional choices he’s leaned into. He roots his ideas in Torah, in higher education, and in real-world experience. It’s not just talk—it’s integrated, lived. And what an appropriate time to release this conversation—during the Sefira cycle of Tiferet, when balance, truth, and beauty are at the center. We talked identity, mental health, humility, and what it means to lead without ego. Grounded, honest, and refreshingly unpolished.See you on the other side,Eli