Brandeis University - Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies

In 1980, Brandeis University established the Maurice and Marilyn Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies (CMJS), the first academic center devoted to the study of Jewish life in the United States.

CMJS furthers social scientific knowledge of American Jewry for the sake of scholarly understanding and effective policy development. The center advances this mission by conducting multidisciplinary studies on religious and ethnic identity, communal programs and institutions, and key topics of concern to the Jewish people. CMJS also houses the Fisher-Bernstein Institute for Jewish Philanthropy and Leadership and the Steinhardt Social Research Institute.