Lewis Cohen, Lord Cohen of Brighton

Lord Cohen of Brighton - The Man they Called Mr. Brighton

Lord Cohen of Brighton was one of the leading lights of Brighton Jewry and a man who still enjoys a very high popular regard. As a young man Cohen was shocked by some the poverty and poor housing he saw in Brighton while he worked as a rent collector. This lead him to become a socialist, and politically active for the Labour party. While he never succeeded in being elected MP, he did become Mayor of Brighton in 1956-7, and was highly regarded by all parties and was a maverick and inspirational ideas man in local politics for three decades, who had a big impact on the development of the town.

Cohen also became the head of the Brighton Equitable Building Society, and turned it almost single-handedly into a major and profitable concern that emerged from being a local institution to a national organisation, by a series of mergers and acquisitions.

He was also a property developer and developed great swaths of the inter-war suburbs in Brighton, providing affordable housing to the people as well as providing the mortgages to buy them!

He managed to combine forward looking entrepreneurial skills and nous, flair and the all important public touch - he was a much respected and liked man and sought to lend genuine benefit to his local community in his business dealing.

He was also a philanthropist working to promote local cultural causes. He was the motive force behind the Brighton Festival, which started in 1967 just after his death. He also saved the Theatre Royal and acquired the land for the University of Sussex.

He also gave both money and advice to people who just turned up to his office at the Alliance, having heard that he helped people and he was consequently described as a, 'one-man benevolent fund for the town'.

His suddenly death from leukemia in 1966 his memory was honoured from all sides. One local Labour Councillor said of him, 'He bewildered us , cajoled us and charmed us for 30 years . He was a giant in the life of Brighton.'

The Jewish Chronicle - Oct 28 1966

LORD COHEN OF BRIGHTON

Lord Cohen of Brighton. Labour peer, philanthropist and chairman of the Alliance Building Society, died last Friday in a London hospital, at the age of 09.

Lewis Coleman Cohen was created a life peer in May. 1965, and chose the title of Baton Cohen of Brighton, the town with which he had so many associations—in the business, municipal, and Jewish fields of endeavour. He was Mayor in 1956-57.

Born in Hastings, which he left at the age'of eleven to go with his family to Brighton, he attended grammar schools in both towns and started work before he was 14 years old as a clerk to an estate agent, at 5s. a week. After several changes of employment and the accumulation of experience and a little capital he bought the business of that estate agent in 1929 ; and in the same year he was invited to become secretary of the Brighton and Sussex Building Society. He was made general manager the following year and later managing director.

Investing in various enterprises he succeeded in some but failed in others, such as the erection of the Duchess Theatre, London, which he had to sell at a complete loss. But in the building society field his touch was golden : following a number of amalgamations he became chairman and managing director of the Alliance Building Society, which became Britain's eighth largest building society, with assets of over £150,000,000.

Lewis Cohen joined the Labour Party while in his teens and remained a valiant supporter, fighting against very heavy odds in parliamentary elections. He contested Brighton and Hove twice, Hastings once, and Brighton

(Kemp Town) three times, without success. In local politics he was more successful; he was elected to the Brighton Council first in 1930. served as Mayor in 1956. and was elected an alderman in 1964.

To Jewish causes, both in Brighton and beyond, Lord Cohen Save many services. He was one of the founders of the Brighton and Hove Liberal Synagogue, was a vice-president-of the J.P.A., the Maccabi Association, the Technion Society and hon life president of the Brighton Friends of the Hebrew University.

He was married twice, first to Miss Sonya Lawson (the marriage was dissolved) and then to Mrs. Renie Bodlender. who survives him. He had a son and two daughters of the first marriage.

The funeral service, held at the Brighton and Hove Reform Synagogue, was conducted by Rabbi E. S. Rosenblum. Among those present were several peers, headed by the Karl of Longford, civic and parliamentary dignitaries and Mr. S.Teff. president of the Board of Deputies.