Geoffrey Cohen (nom de plume)

Geoffrey Cohen is a multiple-use name or nom de plume, an "open reputation" informally adopted and shared by members of Jewdas and Jewish activists all over Britain.

The first known reference to Geoffrey Cohen appeared on 26 September 2006 in an article by Ruth Gledhill, Religion Correspondent for The Times. [http://timescolumns.typepad.com/gledhill/2006/09/by_ruth_gledhil.html]

"It’s not about the polarities of either abandoning the past or returning to it. This is about choosing elements of the past and we want to challenge nationalism and materialism."~ Geoffrey Cohen

Cohen adheres to Derrida’s idea of a radical tradition, and prefers bicycles over SUVs, and is a post-Zionist vegan with a Jew-fro. [http://www.spiked-online.com/index.php?/site/article/1774/]

The real Geoffrey Cohen

The multiple identity uncannily coincides with the Orthodox Rabbi Dr. Geoffrey Cohen who used to be head Rabbi for Stanmore and Canons Park Synagogue as well as a professor of Psychology at the University of Colorado at Boulder. [http://psych.colorado.edu/~gcohen/index.html]

The reasons why the Geoffrey Cohens chose that particular name is as yet unclear to mainstream journalists. However, during an interview, Geoffrey Cohen stated that the name was chosen to create "a mystery element" and to preserve anonymity. [http://www.spiked-online.com/index.php?/site/article/1774]

Claims that Cohen (Jewdas) is named after Cohen (Stanmore), are hotly contested by Cohen (Jewdas) who claims to have a 'timeless status', meaning that it would not be possible to be preceded by any 'namesakes'.

It is also rumoured that Geoffrey (sometimes spelt Jeffrey) is married to the infamous and equally clandestine 'Yentl Tumtum' although some believe that the marriage is not a valid one.

Radical Jewish Tradition

The ‘radical Jewish tradition’, as Cohen sees it, includes the work of such diverse figures as Emma Goldman, Albert Einstein, Karl Marx, Martin Buber and Amos Oz.

"Political activism was not separate from their Jewishness, whatever they claim", says Cohen. [http://www.spiked-online.com/index.php?/site/article/1774/]

"We take our inspiration from diasporic Jewish philosophers, and the anarchist and socialist heritage of the Jewish East End. We want our fellow Jews to stand tall and feel proud in their yiddishkeit. Our reward for this... is scorn and now, arrest. We don’t ask to be accepted, but we do ask to be allowed to carry on inspiring young Jews to take pride in who they are. And we'd prefer not to be arrested, thank you very much." Geoffrey Cohen, [http://timescolumns.typepad.com/gledhill/2006/09/by_ruth_gledhil.html The Times]

A selection of Geoffrey Cohen's campaigns, hoaxes, and stunts

Make Melanie Smile campaign (February 2006)

The ‘Make Melanie Smile’ campaign asks supporters and readers of the conservative "Daily Mail" columnist, Melanie Phillips, to send emails which might help to cheer her up. [http://www.spiked-online.com/index.php?/site/article/1774]

Reclaiming racist imagery (September/October 2006)

"The reclamation of racist imagery has a long intellectual history, most relevant to the contemporary Jewish spectrum in Heeb Magazine's choice of name. Furthermore, Sacha Baron-Cohen's character Borat fulfills a similar purpose - by ridiculing anti-Semitism, you defuse it. We want to confront the madness of anti-Semitism, not run from it as we are encouraged to do by Jewish security groups." [http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1161811213259&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull]

“This is especially relevant as we approach the 70th anniversary of the battle of Cable Street. We throw the anti-Semites’ images back at them.” Geoffrey Cohen, [http://timescolumns.typepad.com/gledhill/2006/09/by_ruth_gledhil.html The Times]

ee also

* Multiple-use name
* Monty Cantsin
* Luther Blissett
* Secular Jewish culture
* Cultural Judaism

References

* Article in [http://timescolumns.typepad.com/gledhill/2006/09/by_ruth_gledhil.html Times] by Ruth Gledhill, Times Religion Correspondent, 26 September 2006
* [http://www.spiked-online.com/index.php?/site/article/1774/ Interview] by Natalie Rothschild, 4 October 2006
* Article in the [http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1161811213259&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull Jersualem Post] by Jonny Paul, 26 October, 2006

External links

* [http://www.jewdas.org www.jewdas.org]
* Article in the [http://www.guardian.co.uk/g2/story/0,,1734752,00.html Guardian Newspaper] by Benjamin Joffe-Walt, Monday March 20, 2006
* Letter in the [http://www.guardian.co.uk/g2/story/0,,1734752,00.html Guardian Newspaper] from Benjamin Joffe-Walt, Wednesday March 22 2006