Michael T. Cohen

About

Educator first

A military veteran, political and security strategist and specialist in quiet international and personal conflict resolution, Mike has held a lifetime of professional & volunteer leadership roles, but is first and foremost an educator and lover of people, baseball (Yankees) and, of course, basketball.

Mike has initiated the “Tal Brody ’77 Golden Jubilee” campaign as a move to unite, strengthen, support, uplift and empower Jewish youth around the globe. With the active support and participation of Tal Brody and of “On The Map” producer Dani Menkin, Mike is endeavoring to generate a biblical “Jubilee Moment” on the 50th year of this inconceivable achievement: “Go forth and gather all the Judeans!” (Esther 4:16)

Mike also serves as a Global NIL Consultant/Educator for Zak Ivkovic Consultants out of Belgrade, Serbia, and as Chief People Person of the NYC Basketball Hall of Fame, leading its rebirth and restoring it to its deserved glory. He is also honored to have been named a member of the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame Election Committee.

Mike has edited several books on peace and security in both English and Hebrew and is currently working on “Where There Is No Vision, People Die” (Proverbs 29:18), and on a children’s book telling his mom’s miraculous survival story as a small child in war-torn 1940s Europe.

He has been a Hebrew, Bible and Middle-East history & conflict resolution teacher and professor for a number of colleges and global church networks, and has translated, reworked and taught local spiritual songs to their children, youth and adult choirs.

A reserve officer for 40+ years in an elite special-forces counter-terrorism unit, Mike earned his first basketball coaching certification at age 11 from Israel’s Wingate Institute of Physical Education. He is also a certified personal life & business coach and narrative therapist. Since his teens he has worked behind the scenes in Israeli & American politics and business, and with the full range of electronic and print news media.

Called to consult for members of both houses of the U.S. Congress and the Israeli Knesset, Mike has had the honor of addressing the alphabet soup of Jewish and Christian organizational life while wearing many professional hats in sports, philanthropy, education, business, entrepreneurship, finance and counter-terrorism.

An expert on Israel-Arab and Israel-USA peace efforts, Mike has advised a wide variety of Jewish and non-Jewish organizations on U.S., Jewish and Israeli affairs. He was honored with Israel’s Defense Establishment “Reserve Defender” Shield in 2008 and with lifetime honorary membership in the United Chaplains of New York State in 2010. He has served as scholar-in-residence, lecturer and strategist on Middle East security, the military aspects of international conflict and peacemaking, Israel-Diaspora relations, Israeli society and body politic, homeland security, Christian relationships with Israel and the Jewish people, Jews and African-Americans in sports, and the use of technology for community development.

An experienced crisis negotiator, Mike was assigned as a reservist to Israel’s National Emergency Response & Negotiation Team in Bethlehem during Operation Defensive Shield in April–May 2002, handling the multifaceted and potentially explosive crisis of the Church of the Nativity’s hostile takeover by Hamas terrorists. More recently, he facilitated the creation of DTEC – The 1st Druze Veterans High-Tech Empowerment Center.

He has worked with international NGOs, briefing visiting diplomats, politicians, dignitaries, security experts, communal missions and religious leaders in Israel and around the world from his first-hand experience and perspective.

In 2002 Mike compiled “Ordinary People – Extraordinary Spirit,” a 220-page photo essay on the spirit shown by Israeli, Jewish and Christian Zionist society in the face of ongoing global and domestic terror, as well as “The Job of A Jewish Soldier,” a children’s book that helps parents explain the images their children see on TV in a gentler, empowering context.

Mike is happily married to Elana and is the proud father of Noa (19), Uriel (18) and Natan (13). He enjoys coaching Natan’s little league baseball team, the Beit Shemesh Jackals, and leading OTV tours for the Elah Valley Tour Company.

The Cohens regularly welcome dignitaries, friends and groups visiting Israel into their home overlooking the majestic hills of Judea, and look forward to your visit as well.