PATH’s 20th Anniversary: Reflection from Jake Cohen

"When I met Jake Cohen, we sat over lunch in a local restaurant and admitted that we were both new… he to his location in Howard County organizing, and me, to a new congregation in Columbia. We committed to working fully together to explore the critical affordable housing landscape.

Jake diligently analyzed and set up meetings with the key stakeholders in the community, congregations, local government, and national affordable housing arena, so we could increase our knowledge and strengthen relationships over that first summer. We had a lot of laughs because he took his mission seriously, but took himself lightly!

I greatly respected his training and willingness to reach deep and wide to understand the socio-political and economic landscape and educate me and all of us on the complexity of bringing affordable workforce housing to our community and tap into the community's needs with passion."

—Rev. Mary Ka Kanahan, Former Pastor at St. John United Church

Jake’s Reflection:

I became the Lead Organizer of PATH when I was 25 years old, which was, in retrospect, perhaps too young to step into that role. I was working with incredible leaders, many of whom had been leading their congregations since before I was born!

I was afraid that I would not have anything to offer, and afraid to mess up the legacy of this young organization that I had inherited. But it was clear that PATH was ready to take on some big fights, and I hoped to be a part of moving the organization forward.

What I’ve learned since then, and especially in my current role as the Executive Director of a synagogue in Austin, TX, is that in organizing, or congregational leadership, the responsibility never falls solely on one person. PATH is a shared endeavor, and what makes it so special is the incredible heart and love its leaders have for each other and for the work. At the end of the day, everything we did was shared, led and driven collectively.

While we were a small organization in a relatively small suburb, we were able to take on and impact issues that were relevant not just to Howard County, but to communities across America.

In a moment in which America felt so divided and divisive, PATH provided a space of solace, where folks were able to act on values that were being dismissed and tarnished in our national politics. A few of the values that PATH’s leaders cared about and acted on:

• Standing up for immigrant neighbors through listening campaigns and a council policy to make Howard County a Sanctuary County;

• Fighting for the founding vision of the county through a major affordable housing campaign;

• Improving youth health outcomes, by fighting obesity through access to fresh fruits and vegetables in schools;

• Ensuring that our schools were well-funded and fully-staffed; and

• Standing up for diversity by ensuring that DEI policies and positions were integrated into the school district.

I had the opportunity to work with great people across the county, many of whom remain leaders in PATH today, and I learned so much from all of them.

We never know the impact we have in a moment, we never know how our words or actions affect someone else, but it was a real gift to be at PATH at that time and to inherit the great work that had come before. I would not be the leader I am today without my time at PATH.

And to see PATH today, 20 years in, still engaged in many of the same fights and taking on new and bigger battles, makes me so proud to be a part of that legacy.