Born on June 1, 1953 in New York, Cohen immigrated to Vancouver in 1986 to oversee the congregation at the Beth Tikvah Synagogue in Richmond. An ordained rabbi, he holds a Ph.D. in history of ancient Judaism. In 1999 he left Canada to take over a position in California. Cohen is unusual for dividing his writing between academic/relgious works and murder mysteries.

Bibliography:

Shi'ur qomah: Liturgy and Theurgy in Pre-Kabbalistic Judiasm (University Press of America, 1982)
Shi'ur qomah: Texts and Recensions (1984)
Travels on the Private Zodiac: Essays on Jewish Life, Ritual and Spirituality (Moonstone, 1993)
In Search of Wholeness: Seeking Spiritual Integrity in a Delusional World (Moonstone, 1995)
Travels on a Road Not Taken: Towards A Bible-Based Theory of Jewish Spirituality (Moonstone, 1997)
The Truth About Marvin Kalish: A Novel (Ben Simon, 1992)
Light From Dead Stars (Coteau Books, 1996)
The Sword of Goliath (Coteau Books, 1998)
Heads You Lose (Ekstasis, 2003)

[BCBW 2003] "Fiction" "Religion" "Jewish"