David S. Kogan, Class of 1950

In addition to hostessing and nannying this summer, I've been doing some part-time research for Cornell as part of the Sesquicentennial celebration. The task at hand is to collect first-person accounts of different areas of campus life in various categories. One of my sources is a wonderful book by Carol Kammen called "First Person Cornell," and it includes short excerpts from students' diaries and blogs over the years.

Today I was reading one that really piqued my interest, that of David S. Kogan, class of 1950. I read at the beginning of the chapter that he was a reconstructionist Jew in a bio that Kammen wrote for him. I only read the first sentence of the bio paragraph, eager to hear what he had to say about life on the hill.

"October 19, 1946. There's a lot of neck going around in these parts. And even more serious activities. Ah, the Spirit of Co-Education...Crossing the Bridge of Sacred and Profane. First Hillel Service was not particularly impressive, being about seventy-five percent Reform and twenty-five percent Conservative (that is merely hats, no organ, a bit of chanting). Nevertheless it is a necessary compromise.

October 25, 1946. I've been studying the Jews here on the campus. Of the approximately fifteen hundred, about one hundred are truly tied to Jewish values and traditions in the modern sense of the term. Then there are about sixty who are Orthodox and do not have anything to do with conservative Hillel House. Another one or two hundred enjoy going to services and are sympathetic to Jewish tradition. A factor almost unknown among Yonkers youth are the three hundred-odd radicals who work for the PAC and the Negroes and Russia, but have nothing to do with anything Jewish, even refusing to come to Hillel House for social activities. Nevertheless they hang together at the "Universal" meetings where Jews predominate. The remaining nine hundred are in between; some come to occasional services; most going to Hillel House, but not at all really concerned with Jews and Judaism.

November 24, 1947. What are my wants: to study the Jewish heritage--to be well-groomed and in the best physical health--to catalogue my faults and correct them--to satisfy sexual desire consistent with an honorable character and wholesome personality--contemplate, evaluate, and improve my living--to successfully pursue Cornell studies--to read wisely and record the reading--to plan and complete the action which make me a better being...to honor my father and mother...and perhaps more...

May 15, 1948. I am thrilled about the formation of the Jewish State. Last night the beautiful Cornell Chimes played the songs of the modern Jewish Palestine for a full half hour...This weekend I was elected President of the Hillel Foundation for the coming school year."



At this point, I stopped reading and turned back to the beginning of the chapter to finish reading Mr. Kogan's biography, with a dim hope forming in my mind of finding him and writing him an email or beginning some sort of correspondence.

I found this:

"His diary spans his four years at Cornell, though the entries taper off in his final year, when he was diagnosed with a lymphoma and began a series of treatments in both Yonkers, his hometown, and Ithaca. Kogan graduated in June 1950 and died in March 1951."


I felt very sad after reading that, and finished the chapter. Then there was a moment when I paused, sensed some significance in my reading excerpts from his diary, and decided to write this blog post. Funny how souls and personalities can connect and transcend time and existence in the physical realm. In that way, I think there is something metaphysical about writing one's personal reflections in a diary or journal or blog. Perhaps that's one of the reasons I've always kept one, at least since I was 12. Also because I've always assumed that I will be at least slightly famous one day and people will care to read my memoirs.

I would have loved to be present that day on May 15, 1948 as the chimes rang out with "HaTikvah" and "Yerushalayim Shel Zahav" and perhaps some folk songs we used to dance to in Israeli Dance. I would have sung along on Ho Plaza and clipped the newspaper the next day and kept it my whole life.

Thank you to Carol Kammen for compiling these diary entries and to David S. Kogan for remembering this special day for me.