(she/her) joined Kolot in 1999. Ellen has been a communications professional for her entire career: as an art critic, art writer, editor, journalist, publicist, and proofreader. In addition to writing for major art magazines and newspapers, Ellen published/edited a feminist art magazine, womanart, from 1976-1978. Ellen is married to Kolotnik Mike Cockrill and has a daughter, Rachel. Growing up rarely attending shul and with no Hebrew education, Ellen was determined to provide that opportunity for her daughter. In 1999, Ellen undertook extensive shul shopping in Park Slope and found Kolot; she was immediately drawn to Kolot’s rabbi, Ellen Lippmann, the shul’s more intimate space, and the close knit-feeling in the congregation. Rabbi Lippmann helped lead Ellen to a deeper involvement with Kolot. Ellen’s daughter became a bat mitzvah in 2005; Ellen was a bat mitzvah in 2014 and Mike converted to Judaism in 2017. Currently Ellen is a Torah Study regular and a Shabbat regular. She was a member of the Kolot Board for one year and is a past chair of Gemilut Hasadim. Ellen highly values the Kolot community and is thrilled with the congregation’s growth.

Ellen has been a member of Kolot Chayeinu since 1999. She came to Kolot after a search of local synagogues to enter her daughter Rachel into Hebrew School, an opportunity Ellen had been denied growing up. This interview describes the arc of Ellen’s involvement in Kolot: how services changed from simpler to what feels very rich today; how becoming an adult B’nei Mitzvah kindled a deeper engagement with Judaism and Kolot; the joy of studying Torah in community; and the enormous rewards of being a part of Gemilut Chasadim – providing “loving kindness”. Ellen describes aspects of Kolot’s evolution over these many years: the story she tells is how she has grown closer.