When Danny Cohn stepped into his role as president and CEO of Jewish Federation of St. Louis in mid-March, he brought with him a deep love for Jewish communal work and an understanding that every community is its own ecosystem, with its own rhythms, relationships and realities. St. Louis, he quickly realized, is no exception.

“As I age, my words have become more measured,” said Cohn, reflecting on his first 100 or so days in the job. “If you had asked me this 10 years ago, I would have given you a different answer. But I am so lucky to love what I do, and the first 100 days here in St. Louis has underscored that I think we both made mutually beneficial decisions.”

By “we,” Cohn clarifies, he means both Federation choosing to hire him and his decision to come to St. Louis. 

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“I think it is a great match,” he said. “I inherited a very strong institution. I inherited a very strong staff. But the one thing that I think Federation was lacking — and not through any fault of its own — was a leader. When you don’t have a CEO for almost a year, personal relationships, community relationships, dialogue doesn’t exist anymore.”

That clarity has guided Cohn through a whirlwind onboarding process marked by intentional listening, strategic outreach and a commitment to helping the community feel heard.

Listening first, then leading

“It has been my No. 1 priority to get out and meet as many people and have as many conversations with as many different viewpoints as possible,” he said. “That hasn’t been hard, it’s just been consuming.”

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Since April, Cohn has held more than two dozen parlor meetings with groups of 20 to 30 people, thanks in large part to Federation board members Caroline Goldenberg and Debbie Lefton, along with Michael Lourie, Federation’s vice president of public affairs and chief of staff, who helped organize many of these gatherings. 

Cohn has also visited nearly every Federation-funded agency (more visits are planned) and met with elected officials, interfaith clergy, nonprofit partners and civic organizations. 

“The first 100 days were about knowing the community I represent,” he said. “The next 100 will be about representing that community externally.”

Cohn came to St. Louis from Birmingham, Ala., where he led a much smaller Federation serving about 5,000 people that functioned primarily as a financial umbrella. St. Louis, by contrast, offers a different scale and different responsibilities.

“Here, we’re more of a convener,” he said. “I don’t have to worry about the fiscal health of the agency down the street, because it’s governed well. That’s different, and good.”

Cohn’s leadership seems to lean heavily on humility and inclusivity. 

“As Federation CEO, I don’t believe there’s a place for my personal narrative or agenda,” he said. “I think it has to be driven by community. And that is, I think, a pivot — not a good or bad one — just a pivot, for the community.”

That pivot is guided by the recognition that Federation’s reach must be broad and inclusive. 

“We’re not a member-based organization, we’re not a synagogue or community center that charges dues,” he said. “I have to represent the entire community, not just the sliver that other organizations serve.”

A community rooted in relationships

Fortunately, Cohn said, the ecosystem he’s inherited is unusually collaborative. 

“I’m really proud of the community, that they have embraced me in such a way where I can sit down with anyone, whether or not we share views, and they trust me,” he said. “If nothing else happens while I’m here and we have a trusting relationship, that’s worth just as much as the annual campaign.”

Cohn isn’t just meeting people; he’s been doing his homework, too. In his downtime, he’s reading Walter Ehrlich’s two-volume history of St. Louis Jewry. One surprising discovery was the strong divide that once existed between German Jews and Eastern European Jews. 

“I just thought that St. Louis, given its size, had more inclusivity from the beginning — and it didn’t,” he said. 

Understanding that history helps him approach current challenges with more nuance, Cohn said.

“That history adds complexity to the conversations we’re having now,” he said. “But I’m encouraged by how much people want to move toward unity.”

Still, he cautions, unity doesn’t mean uniformity. 

“One of the things that surprised me most about St. Louis is how diverse the opinions are across the Jewish community,” Cohn said. “It caught me unprepared. It can be a blessing and a curse. Figuring out how to harness that for the community’s benefit will take time.”

That diversity of thought reflects a vibrant, multifaceted community, one whose influence extends beyond its own borders, said Cohn, who also is encouraged by how much Jewish philanthropy has shaped the broader region. 

“I didn’t understand how integral the Jewish community was to St. Louis until I got here,” he said. “Having Jewish dollars and Jewish activities go into the general community is an easy way to educate people about who Jews are and help eliminate antisemitism.”

He sees the Jewish Community Center as “the greatest gift to the general community that the Jews could ever give.”

“Here in St. Louis, there’s enough money to go around,” Cohn said. “It’s lovely to live in a flourishing community where everyone, regardless of where their interest is, can be philanthropic and the other organizations do not suffer because of it.”

Work-life balance?

At home, Cohn is joined by his husband of 19 years, Andrew Miller, 45, and their daughter Nora Miller-Cohn, 10. Cohn’s shift from decades in global marketing to Jewish communal work, he admits, was driven by a desire to carve out more family time and achieve a healthier work-life balance. But as he quickly discovered, that goal comes with a bit of irony.

“There is no work-life balance in this,” he said with a laugh. “But here’s the deal: I don’t feel like I come to work every day, I feel like I get to play every day. I’m on call 24-7, which is just fine, except for Shabbos. At 5:30 p.m. Friday, you won’t be able to get a hold of me until Sunday” — unless, of course, something catastrophic happens, like when war broke out in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, which happened to be a Saturday.

Also nudging him toward a life rooted in a strong Jewish community? Daughter Nora. 

“At 9 years old, she wanted more of a Jewish life,” he said. “She was so thrilled when we came for a visit to see the word ‘Jewish’ after Barnes on a building.”

Looking to the future

Among his early wins in the job, Cohn cites a growing conversation around services for adults with disabilities and how various organizations are working together to address those needs. 

“Everyone’s committed to finding (a solution),” he said. “There’s no one saying, this is my lane, or get out.”

Cohn also is thinking critically about the future and how to make Federation relevant to the next generation. 

“A lot of young people look at federated giving as something they can’t comprehend because they’re not seeing an immediate win by their gift,” he said. “But giving them a peek under the veil of what Federation does — security, leadership programs, Israel — has gotten a lot of these younger people excited.”

Still, he’s not looking to create Federation lifers. 

“I want you in Federation,” Cohn said. “I want to train you. But if you decide you want to go be active in (Jewish Family Services) or (National Council of Jewish Women) great. I’m not trying to cannibalize. That’s just not how we build community.”

Cohn said he sees Federation as both a launchpad and a bridge. 

“Whether it’s through Federation or not, they’re coming to Federation to help get it started,” he said. “And that is a win no matter what happens.” 

While Israel and the Middle East were not the focus of most parlor meetings, Cohn knows the war in Gaza and escalating tensions with Iran weigh heavily on many people.

“I wish those who are struggling with their feelings about Israel would come and have a conversation with me,” he said. “I don’t have any answers, but I can be an ear. And I do have a line of sight into a lot of things that are going on through the relationships Federation enjoys with our overseas partners.”

Battling antisemitism also ranks high among Federation’s priorities. Cohn said the organization is committed to “using our relationships within the community to create tailored solutions and proactive programming to either educate or combat antisemitism.”

To that end, Federation is working closely with the Jewish Community Relations Council, the Anti-Defamation League and the American Jewish Committee to develop a communitywide antisemitism playbook. 

“We’re not going to be the educators or the programmatic outlet,” Cohn said. “But we are going to be the connector and the convener. Our role is to coordinate and elevate existing efforts.”

Internally, he’s also making sure Federation staff is trained to respond to rising antisemitism. 

“It’s everyone’s problem in this building, and we’re arming people with the tools,” he said.

As he looks ahead, Cohn is optimistic. He believes in the strength of Jewish institutions, the resilience of community and the power of relationships.

“We are still a tribal people taking care of each other,” he said. “That hasn’t changed. And it’s what gives me hope.”