Rae Alice Cohen Papers

A native of Chicago, Rae Alice Cohen (1918-1997) moved to Atlanta when she married Bernard W. Cohen (1915-1997) in 1941. Coming from a classical reform background, Rae Alice immersed herself into adapting her life to Kashrut, establishing a kosher home, and raising her children in a traditional way. Rae Alice started a Jewish Girl Scout troop at Congregation Ahavath Achim and went on to be a trainer at the council level, teaching courses to train Girl Scout leaders. Rae Alice’s volunteerism led her finally in the direction of the Ahavath Achim Sisterhood, where she volunteered to do jobs others did not want. She used her organizational skills to set up Hebrew literacy programs and parent-child education programs (PEP). Rae Alice became active in the Jewish Welfare Federation and became president of the Southern Branch of Conservative Judaism. When Ahavath Achim became egalitarian, Rae Alice served as the first woman officer there. Her involvement with the Cuba Family Archives was perfect for Rae Alice. For thirteen years and countless hours, Rae Alice poured over the cherished items of members of the Jewish communities throughout Georgia and helped to preserve them and categorize them for posterity. She loved volunteering and her dedication and tireless efforts helped to make The Cuba Family Archives of The Breman a respected and often visited resource for countless numbers of researchers.