As Danny Cohn heads to St. Louis, Newcomb named interim Federation CEO
With BJF assistance, her family immigrated to Birmingham when she was 6 years old
Danny Cohn speaks at his farewell Shabbat at Temple Emanu-El on March 7
A lot of Jewish organizations expend a great deal of effort in developing young leadership. The Birmingham Jewish Federation did so with an unexpected path.
Florina Newcomb was named interim CEO of the Federation, succeeding Danny Cohn, who left in March to become CEO of the Federation in St. Louis. In her opening remarks to the community as CEO, Newcomb said “We are a vibrant, cohesive, and supportive community, and I look forward to leading during this transition as we search for the next CEO.”
Her Birmingham journey to interim CEO started when she was six and arrived in the city as one of the first New Americans after the fall of the former Soviet Union, as the Federation and affiliated agencies geared up to resettle dozens of families.
Born in Kishinev, Moldova, Newcomb left with her family in 1989 when she was five years old. “This community embraced us, and it shaped who I am today,” she said. “Growing up here, I experienced firsthand the power of a strong, vibrant Jewish community, and it is now my privilege to give back to the organization that played such a crucial role in my own journey.”
She attended the N.E. Miles Jewish Day School and graduated from Birmingham-Southern College. In 2015 she joined the Federation, with roles that included overseeing the Annual Campaign, Women’s Philanthropy, PJ Library, the Israel-World Jewry Bureau and community programming. She had most recently been assistant executive director.
In 2023, she returned to Moldova on a Federation mission, meeting with refugees from the war in Ukraine. (Our story is here).
She said the Federation and Foundation “are in an incredibly strong position — both financially and programmatically — because of the leaders who came before me and because of our generous and committed donors. Their unwavering support ensures that we can continue to serve and strengthen our Jewish community today and for generations to come.
Farewell service
Cohn arrived in Birmingham in 2020 on the seventh of Adar, and he noted that his final weekly message to the community was on that same day, five years later. It is also the day of Moses’ birth, and the day he died 120 years later.
He arrived as the world was shutting down as the Covid pandemic was beginning, making it difficult to meet the community. His five years would also include navigating the community through a war in Ukraine that hit close to home for many in the community, and then October 7 and its aftermath in Israel.
“Together, we have written a meaningful chapter in the enduring story of Jewish Birmingham, one rooted in our shared values, history, and vision for the future,” Cohn said.
A farewell Shabbat for Cohn was held at Temple Emanu-El on March 7, and Rabbi Adam Wright said his departure “hurts,” and when he heard Cohn was leaving he “knew we were going to have a void in Jewish Birmingham.”
He said “I know your tenure here was only five years, but in five years you have accomplished decades of work for Jewish Birmingham.”
Newcomb said that Cohn led the Federation “with passion, with vision, and with an absolutely unshakeable belief that more is always more.”
Though he arrived during a pandemic, “you hit the ground running. You had big ideas, boundless energy and a talent for making every meeting feel like a Ted Talk, a stand-up routine and a Broadway audition all at the same time.”
She said Cohn “cared deeply for this community, you have shown up for us in hard times, you’ve fought for our future and you have done it all with enthusiasm, dedication and passion.”
Cohn admitted that it was only then that the reality of his leaving started to set in. “There are a lot of people in this community who have made me successful, and I stand on the back of giants,” he said.
He concluded with “I leave with profound gratitude for each of you who has enriched this journey.”
Wright and Cantor Robby Wittner then blessed Cohn’s family in front of the ark, with the Debbie Friedman song “Lechi Lach,” a song for forthcoming lifechanging travels.
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