Kahn, Alfred J., 1919-2009

Alfred J. Kahn was a pioneer in the field of social work and served as a member of the Columbia University faculty for fifty-seven years. Born in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, in 1919, Kahn spent much of his early life in the Bensonhurst neighborhood. His parents, Meyer and Sophie Kahn, raised their children in the Jewish faith. Kahn remained interested in his Jewish heritage through his college years, enrolling concurrently in the secular City College and in the Jewish Theological Seminary and graduating from both programs by 1940.

Kahn's interest in social work as a field of study developed during his college years. At City College, Kahn became active in the Zionist student organization called Avukah. As a student leader of Avukah, Kahn organized a national survey of Jewish college students in an effort to understand the particular needs and challenges of that community. This experience, along with a few courses in social work, convinced Kahn that this would be his vocation. After an initial rejection, Kahn was accepted into the M.S. program at the New York School of Social Work in 1941. He also remained engaged with the Jewish community through an administrative role in Avukah and a post as a Hebrew Sunday school teacher.

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