An Act of Affirmation

A wunderkind who graduated from Yale University at age nineteen, Elliot E. Cohen went on to found Commentary, the famously disputatious magazine of literature and opinion. During Cohen’s stewardship, the magazine attempted to harmonize Jewish intellectualism and American values, providing a forum for serious thinking and erudite opinions. Cohen himself flourished as a writer and editor, stressing both eloquence and analytical rigor. Born in Des Moines, he worked on Menorah Journal, a biweekly publication for college students, before his Commentary days; he ended his own life.