Meet Choni Cohen | Business owner & Chazan (Cantor)

We had the good fortune of connecting with Choni Cohen and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Choni, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I like to connect with the people in our community. We really concentrate on making that connection, not only inside the store, but outside, as well.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
We are a Judaica store. But we are not just a Judaica store. We are a community store! Everyone who knows us knows that we appreciate all of our customers and they know if they ever need anything outside the store, we’re here for them. We sell Jewish items for the home. Our most popular sell is the mezuzah. A mezuzah is a handwritten scroll by a scribe who uses a special ink and quill on a parchment. The verse “shema”” is written on the scroll. The scroll goes into a case and hung on the right side of the door as you enter. In addition, we sell tallit for boys and girls for their b’nai mitzvot, ketubot (marriage document) for weddings, keepsakes for the broken glass under the chuppah, and everything for Shabbat and Jewish holidays. Since we’ve been serving the Boca Raton Jewish community for almost 20 years, we’ve been blessed to meet couples who come in for all of their life cycle events. From their ketubah, to new baby, to the bar/bat mitzvah. Or they came in for their children’s Talit and now their children come in for their ketubah. It’s amazing to see these kids grow up and we’re thrilled to be a part of it.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Beach/pool Mall
Rapids Waterpark
Nature walks
Mizner Park
Atlantic Ave in Delray

Eat at our favorite kosher restaurants
Burnt
Century Grill
Boca Grill
Orchid Garden
Or a BBQ at home

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I’m the oldest of eleven children. I grew up in London, England and was brought up with a strong sense of community and outreach through Chabad Lubavitch. As a young boy, I’d see my mom reaching out to those who wanted to learn more about the observant aspects of Judaism. They came to our house, learned and participated in traditional Shabbat and/or Holiday meals. After I was Bar Mitzvah’d, I would do my own outreach and travel to preform some mitzvot (good deeds), like wrapping the tefillin on other boys, blowing the shofar or shaking the lulav with others. A few years after I got married, my wife and I moved to Florida with then 2 kids. I wanted to continue to connect with people, but also needed to make a living. We decided to open a Judaica store.. 20 years later, and 4 kids, we’re still operating our store. We are able to meet all types of Jews. We become a part of their life-cycle events and celebrate with them for happy times, and unfortunately, some sad times.too.
I am also a cantor at the Chabad of West Boca on Shabbat and the high holidays.

Website: Cohensjudaica.com

Instagram: Cohens_Judaica_Boca

Facebook: Cohen’s Judaica – Boca Raton, FL