U.S. District Court Judge Avern Cohn and his wife Lois will receive the 2014 Activist Award from the Jewish Community Relations Council at a special event in their honor on Sunday, June 22, at Adat Shalom Synagogue in Farmington Hills. The program’s featured speaker will be U.S. Representative Sander Levin.
Judge Cohn has dedicated himself to the pursuit of justice and protection of freedom for more than 60 years. On the bench, he is noted for his expert knowledge of the law, his scrupulous research of cases, and his objectivity in rendering decisions. Prior to his appointment as U.S. District judge for the Eastern District of Michigan in 1979, Judge Cohn was chairman of both the Michigan Civil Rights Commission and the Detroit Board of Police Commissioners, where he was instrumental in an affirmative action program in the hiring of officers in the Detroit Police Department. In each of these appointments, he demonstrated his commitment to bridging gaps between people of different races and cultures, encouraging understanding between communities, and fostering cross-cultural and racial cooperation.
Active in many political, secular, and Jewish organizations, Judge Cohn has held many leadership positions in the State Bar of Michigan and Detroit Metropolitan Bar Association. He has received numerous awards for his service and advocacy on issues of equality, human rights, and discrimination. His work in the Jewish community also focused on the furtherance of human rights and cross-cultural collaboration. A past vice-president of the Jewish Community Council (now JCRC), Judge Cohn served on the JCC executive committee from 1956 to 1976. He is a past president of the Jewish Welfare Federation (now Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit), and a past national vice-president of the American Jewish Committee. Judge Cohn received the Federation’s Butzel Award, an honor which was also bestowed onto his father, Irwin Cohn.
Lois Pincus Cohn’s professional life has spanned the fields of education, public television, and the arts. For the past 29 years, she has been the owner and director of ARTSPACE, a Birmingham art gallery that specializes in reselling fine art for individual collectors, museums, and corporations. Lois began this entrepreneurial endeavor following a long and successful career in the public arena. Lois was the moderator and producer of “Newsmakers,” an urban affairs program on Detroit Public Television. During this period, Lois was appointed by the Detroit City Council as director of Detroit Cable Television Committee, responsible for developing a model two-way urban telecommunications system that became a benchmark in the industry. She later was vice-president of Warner Amex Cable Television, managing franchising activities and designing interactive education programs. Lois culminated her TV career as president of Cable Communications Consultants, which specialized in franchising operations for companies throughout the United States.
Passionate about Democratic Party politics, Lois worked on the campaigns of U.S. Senators Debbie Stabenow and Carl Levin and Governor Jennifer Granholm, as well as many local and state-wide candidates. She is one of the founders of Michigan Women for Clinton and Gore, and continues to be active in both local and national efforts. Committed to providing support and dignity during end-of-life issues, Lois was awarded the Crystal Rose Award as an Outstanding Volunteer by Hospice of Michigan in 2011. She is an advisory board member of Friends of Modern and Contemporary Art: Detroit Institute of Arts and Focus Hope, and a trustee of the College for Creative Studies. Her past affiliations include National Public Radio Presidents Council, Antioch University Board of Trustees, and National Advisory Council: U.S. Small Business Administration.
Those who wish to help JCRC recognize the Cohns’ achievements may do so by donating online at jcrc.org, or by calling the JCRC office at 248-642-5393. Individuals who make contributions at the Sponsor ($500 and above), Platinum ($360) and Gold ($180) levels are invited to attend a pre-glow strolling dinner.
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