Jeffrey (Jeff) Cohen is a member of Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas. On January 15, 2022, he was one of the four hostages when an armed attacker seized the synagogue. After being held at gun point for over 10 hours, Jeff and the two other hostages escaped safely with none of them being hurt (the fourth had been released earlier). Jeff credits the safe escape of all the hostages on preparation and training.

Since the event, Jeff speaks about his experience, the need for security and training, and the dangers of racist tropes. He is also promoting the documentary movie “Colleyville” about the events of that day.

When not talking to groups about the event and the importance of security, Jeff works as in Systems Engineering and software development. His expertise is helping organizations improve their Systems/Software Development Lifecycle. Jeff has worked in a variety of industries including aerospace and defense, materials handling, machine controls, postal automation, and Smart Cities. He has a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University and a MS in Information Technology from Capella University. Jeff is a Licensed Professional Engineer from the State of Texas.

Jeff has lived in Texas since 1986. Jeff is married and has two grown children. He loves traveling, sailing, scuba diving, and home automation.

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