Jonathan Cohen (vintner)

Jonathan Cohen (born May 26, 1979, in Charlotte, North Carolina) is a chazzan and American vintner of the esteemed Cruse family from France. Cohen, along with his father, co-own the 200-acre Old Stone Vineyard and Winery in Salisbury, North Carolina.

Winemaking

Cohen began learning the science of viticulture and oenology at the young age of seven, when he first began bottling wine at the family's winery in North Carolina. Along with his grandfather, Jean Cruse, he helped to build Old Stone Vineyard and Winery into one of the largest and most respected wine producers in the Southern United States. Cohen has traveled all over the United States promoting his family's brand and name, and he frequently offers expert reviews at wine tastings and for online sites such as www.wine.com.

Chazzan

Cohen, along with producing quality wines, learned the art of chazzanut from his grandfather, William Cohen, the former cantor of Central Synagogue and Congregation Shaare Zedek (New York City). Singing as a cantor since the age of 15, Cohen has served pulpits all over the southeastern United States and California, most notably Congregation B'nai Israel in Boca Raton, Florida. Cohen has composed numerous MusicAL pieces for High Holy Days, choir, and contemporary Jewish music. He is also the author of "Derech Kedusha," a contemporary siddur.

RJIC

In fall of 2009, Cohen began the Rural Jewish Initiative for the Carolinas, a non-profit, pluralistic outreach program designed to support the more than fourteen Jewish congregations in North Carolina and South Carolina who are without full-time clergy. The program is designed to provide rabbinical students to these congregations on a part-time basis to assist in rabbinic leadership, education, lay leadership training, liturgical training, and life cycle events. The RJIC currently serves more than six congregations in the Carolinas.