Richard Jacobs (Rabbi)
Encyclopedia
Richard J. Jacobs is a Reform
rabbi
, currently the senior rabbi at Westchester
Reform
Temple
in Scarsdale, New York
. Nominated in March 2011, he was elected in June 2011 to succeed rabbi Eric Yoffie
in 2012 as president of the Union for Reform Judaism
(URJ), the congregational arm of the Reform movement in North America
which represents an estimated 1.5 million Reform Jews in more than 900 synagogues across the United States and Canada.
Jacobs was among a group of American Reform rabbis who called for “urgent change” in the Reform movement. He focuses on environmentalism
, social justice
and liberal Zionism
alongside traditional worship. He has served on the boards of several Jewish organizations, including the World Union for Progressive Judaism
, American Jewish World Service
and the New Israel Fund
.
He is listed number seven in the 2011 The Daily Beast
and Newsweek
list of “America′s 50 Most Influential Rabbis” and holds position three on 2011′s “Forward 50”, the Jewish Daily Forward′s list of the fifty most significant Jews in the United States.
, a Westchester County suburb, who grew up in Tustin, California
, Jacobs was ordained as rabbi in 1982 by Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in New York where he had also earned his M.A.
in Hebrew Literature in 1980. In the same year, he joined Avodah Dance Ensemble, a modern dance company which performs services in dance and concerts throughout the United States. He remained with the company until 1986 as dancer and choreographer, working as part-time rabbi in order to continue performing after being ordained.
In Jerusalem, he studied at the Shalom Hartman Institute
and at the Rubin Academy of Music and Dance
. He considered a career as a dancer, but decided to “dedicate his life to a religious and spiritual mission, and chose the rabbinate”.
Before becoming rabbi at Westchester Reform Temple in 1991, Jacobs served as rabbi at the Brooklyn Heights
Synagogue from 1982 till 1991, where he founded and co-directed the first homeless shelter
at a synagogue in New York City and led the congregation's work with Brooklyn Ecumenical Cooperatives, an interracial coalition of faith communities which built 1,200 housing units in Brooklyn. Under Jacobs’ leadership, Westchester Reform Temple grew from less than 800 member families to more than 1,200. Advocating for the Jewish mission of tikkun olam
(repairing the world), the synagogue underwent an eco-friendly renovation and expansion in 2009 and houses a ner tamid (eternal flame) powered by solar energy.
Jacobs was among a group of 17 rabbis of large American Reform congregations – the “Rabbinic Vision Initiative” formed in December 2009 – who called for “urgent change” in the Reform movement in February 2011, criticizing the Union for Reform Judaism as “unwieldy, lacking in excellence and underperforming in fund-raising”. His nomination as URJ’s next president has drawn both positive and negative reactions – among the latter the Zionist Organization of America
– which mainly criticized Jacobs' attitude toward Israel. According to the Israeli daily Haaretz
however, it was Jacob′s “reputation as a Zionist activist who insists on nurturing close ties with Israel” that was decisive for his being chosen to head the URJ.
Jacobs was a member of the Union of Reform Judaism′s board of trustees from 1994 till 1998 and served as the Secretary of the Central Conference of American Rabbis
(CCAR) and on the board of the World Union for Progressive Judaism (WUPJ), who rewarded him with the “International Humanitarian Award” for his commitment to human rights and social and economic justice in September 2000. He was a part of the international board of the New Israel Fund from 1992 to 2001, and now serves as the Chair of the organization's pluralism grants committee.
He is listed as a member of the rabbinic cabinet of J Street
, and serves on the boards of UJA-Federation
of New York and the American Jewish World Service
, an international development organization. In 2005 he visited the Chad
–Darfur
border area with an international humanitarian mission, and raised more than US$ 250,000 to aid Darfur refugees. He delivered the opening prayer for the 2006 Darfur rally in Washington, D.C. He was the only rabbi who participated in the 2009 Brookings
U.S.-Islamic World Forum in Doha, Qatar, an annual conference designed to bring together key leaders in the worlds of politics, business, media, academia, and civil society from across the Muslim world and the United States. Following the devastating earthquake in Haiti in January 2010, he joined a delegation to assess disaster response. In July 2010 he participated in a protest in Sheikh Jarrah
, a Palestinian neighborhood of East Jerusalem, explaining: “I take issue with residents of east Jerusalem being taken out of their homes to make room for Jewish settlers”, in August of the same year he spoke on CNN in support of the proposed Islamic center near ground zero.
Jacobs has published several essays in Reform Judaism magazines and is working on his Ph.D. in ritual dance at New York University
. He is also a senior rabbinic fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute
in Jerusalem. In 2007, he received a Doctor of Divinity
honoris causa from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion.
Immediately after his nomination for the URJ presidency, The Daily Beast and Newsweek have put him as number seven on their 2011 list of “America's 50 Most Influential Rabbis”, describing him as “magnetic” and “known for prioritizing social justice ... and rethinking worship to engage the disaffected.” The Jewish Daily Forward has him on position three on the 2011 “Forward 50”, its list of the fity most significant American Jews.
Pointing out his view of the future of the Reform Movement to the URJ Board of Trustees in his acceptance speech after being unanimously elected president of the URJ on June 12, 2011, he said:
Jacobs is married to Susan Freedman
, the President of the Public Art Fund
. The couple has three children, and resides in Scarsdale, NY. The family also owns an apartment in Jerusalem and often visits Israel.
Reform Judaism
Reform Judaism refers to various beliefs, practices and organizations associated with the Reform Jewish movement in North America, the United Kingdom and elsewhere. In general, it maintains that Judaism and Jewish traditions should be modernized and should be compatible with participation in the...
rabbi
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
, currently the senior rabbi at Westchester
Westchester
Westchester may refer to:*Westchester, Connecticut*Westchester, Florida*Westchester, Illinois*Westchester, Indiana*Westchester, Los Angeles, California*Westchester County, New York*The Westchester, a shopping mall in White Plains, New York...
Reform
Reform Judaism (North America)
Reform Judaism is the largest denomination of American Jews today. With an estimated 1.5 million members, it also accounts for the largest number of Jews affiliated with Progressive Judaism worldwide.- Reform Jewish theology :Rabbi W...
Temple
Synagogue
A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
in Scarsdale, New York
Scarsdale, New York
Scarsdale is a coterminous town and village in Westchester County, New York, United States, in the northern suburbs of New York City. The Town of Scarsdale is coextensive with the Village of Scarsdale, but the community has opted to operate solely with a village government, one of several villages...
. Nominated in March 2011, he was elected in June 2011 to succeed rabbi Eric Yoffie
Eric Yoffie
Eric H. Yoffie is a Reform rabbi, and president of the Union for Reform Judaism , the congregational arm of the Reform movement in North America which represents an estimated 1.5 million Reform Jews in more than 900 synagogues across the United States and Canada...
in 2012 as president of the Union for Reform Judaism
Union for Reform Judaism
The Union for Reform Judaism , formerly known as the Union of American Hebrew Congregations , is an organization which supports Reform Jewish congregations in North America. The current President is Rabbi Eric H...
(URJ), the congregational arm of the Reform movement in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
which represents an estimated 1.5 million Reform Jews in more than 900 synagogues across the United States and Canada.
Jacobs was among a group of American Reform rabbis who called for “urgent change” in the Reform movement. He focuses on environmentalism
Environmentalism
Environmentalism is a broad philosophy, ideology and social movement regarding concerns for environmental conservation and improvement of the health of the environment, particularly as the measure for this health seeks to incorporate the concerns of non-human elements...
, social justice
Social justice
Social justice generally refers to the idea of creating a society or institution that is based on the principles of equality and solidarity, that understands and values human rights, and that recognizes the dignity of every human being. The term and modern concept of "social justice" was coined by...
and liberal Zionism
Zionism
Zionism is a Jewish political movement that, in its broadest sense, has supported the self-determination of the Jewish people in a sovereign Jewish national homeland. Since the establishment of the State of Israel, the Zionist movement continues primarily to advocate on behalf of the Jewish state...
alongside traditional worship. He has served on the boards of several Jewish organizations, including the World Union for Progressive Judaism
World Union for Progressive Judaism
The World Union for Progressive Judaism describes itself as the "international umbrella organization for the Reform, Liberal, Progressive and Reconstructionist movements." This overall Jewish religious movement is based in about 40 countries with more than 1,000 affiliated synagogues...
, American Jewish World Service
American Jewish World Service
American Jewish World Service is a nonprofit international development organization, founded in 1985, which supports community-based organizations in 35 countries in the developing world and works to educate the American Jewish community about global justice...
and the New Israel Fund
New Israel Fund
The New Israel Fund is a U.S. based non-profit organization established in 1979, and describes its objective as social justice and equality for all Israelis.-Ideology:...
.
He is listed number seven in the 2011 The Daily Beast
The Daily Beast
The Daily Beast is an American news reporting and opinion website founded and published by Tina Brown, former editor of Vanity Fair and The New Yorker as well as the short-lived Talk Magazine. The Daily Beast was launched on October 6, 2008, and is owned by IAC...
and Newsweek
Newsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
list of “America′s 50 Most Influential Rabbis” and holds position three on 2011′s “Forward 50”, the Jewish Daily Forward′s list of the fifty most significant Jews in the United States.
Career and views
A native of New Rochelle, New YorkNew Rochelle, New York
New Rochelle is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States, in the southeastern portion of the state.The town was settled by refugee Huguenots in 1688 who were fleeing persecution in France...
, a Westchester County suburb, who grew up in Tustin, California
Tustin, California
-Top employers:According to the City's 2010 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Tustin had a population of 75,540. The population density was 6,816.7 people per square mile...
, Jacobs was ordained as rabbi in 1982 by Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in New York where he had also earned his M.A.
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
in Hebrew Literature in 1980. In the same year, he joined Avodah Dance Ensemble, a modern dance company which performs services in dance and concerts throughout the United States. He remained with the company until 1986 as dancer and choreographer, working as part-time rabbi in order to continue performing after being ordained.
In Jerusalem, he studied at the Shalom Hartman Institute
Shalom Hartman Institute
Shalom Hartman Institute is a Jewish research and education institute based in Jerusalem, Israel, that offers pluralistic Jewish thought and education to scholars, rabbis, educators, and Jewish community leaders in Israel and North America...
and at the Rubin Academy of Music and Dance
Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance
The Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance , founded in 1958 as the Rubin Academy of Music, is located on the Givat Ram campus of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.-History:...
. He considered a career as a dancer, but decided to “dedicate his life to a religious and spiritual mission, and chose the rabbinate”.
Before becoming rabbi at Westchester Reform Temple in 1991, Jacobs served as rabbi at the Brooklyn Heights
Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn
Brooklyn Heights is a culturally diverse neighborhood within the New York City borough of Brooklyn. Originally referred to as 'Brooklyn Village', it has been a prominent area of Brooklyn since 1834. As of 2000, Brooklyn Heights sustained a population of 22,594 people. The neighborhood is part of...
Synagogue from 1982 till 1991, where he founded and co-directed the first homeless shelter
Homeless shelter
Homeless shelters are temporary residences for homeless people which seek to protect vulnerable populations from the often devastating effects of homelessness while simultaneously reducing the environmental impact on the community...
at a synagogue in New York City and led the congregation's work with Brooklyn Ecumenical Cooperatives, an interracial coalition of faith communities which built 1,200 housing units in Brooklyn. Under Jacobs’ leadership, Westchester Reform Temple grew from less than 800 member families to more than 1,200. Advocating for the Jewish mission of tikkun olam
Tikkun olam
Tikkun olam is a Hebrew phrase that means "repairing the world." In Judaism, the concept of tikkun olam originated in the early rabbinic period...
(repairing the world), the synagogue underwent an eco-friendly renovation and expansion in 2009 and houses a ner tamid (eternal flame) powered by solar energy.
Jacobs was among a group of 17 rabbis of large American Reform congregations – the “Rabbinic Vision Initiative” formed in December 2009 – who called for “urgent change” in the Reform movement in February 2011, criticizing the Union for Reform Judaism as “unwieldy, lacking in excellence and underperforming in fund-raising”. His nomination as URJ’s next president has drawn both positive and negative reactions – among the latter the Zionist Organization of America
Zionist Organization of America
The Zionist Organization of America , founded in 1897, was one of the first official Zionist organizations in the United States, and, especially early in the 20th century, the primary representative of Jewish Americans to the World Zionist Organization, espousing primarily Political Zionism.Today,...
– which mainly criticized Jacobs' attitude toward Israel. According to the Israeli daily Haaretz
Haaretz
Haaretz is Israel's oldest daily newspaper. It was founded in 1918 and is now published in both Hebrew and English in Berliner format. The English edition is published and sold together with the International Herald Tribune. Both Hebrew and English editions can be read on the Internet...
however, it was Jacob′s “reputation as a Zionist activist who insists on nurturing close ties with Israel” that was decisive for his being chosen to head the URJ.
Jacobs was a member of the Union of Reform Judaism′s board of trustees from 1994 till 1998 and served as the Secretary of the Central Conference of American Rabbis
Central Conference of American Rabbis
The Central Conference of American Rabbis , founded in 1889 by Rabbi Isaac Mayer Wise, is the principal organization of Reform rabbis in the United States and Canada, the CCAR is the largest and oldest rabbinical organization in the world....
(CCAR) and on the board of the World Union for Progressive Judaism (WUPJ), who rewarded him with the “International Humanitarian Award” for his commitment to human rights and social and economic justice in September 2000. He was a part of the international board of the New Israel Fund from 1992 to 2001, and now serves as the Chair of the organization's pluralism grants committee.
He is listed as a member of the rabbinic cabinet of J Street
J Street
J Street is a nonprofit liberal advocacy group based in the United States whose stated aim is to promote American leadership to end the Arab-Israeli and Israel-Palestinian conflicts peacefully and diplomatically. It was founded in April 2008....
, and serves on the boards of UJA-Federation
United Jewish Appeal
The United Jewish Appeal was a Jewish philanthropic umbrella organization that existed from its creation in 1949 until it was folded into the United Jewish Communities, which was formed from the 1999 merger of United Jewish Appeal , Council of Jewish Federations and United Israel Appeal, Inc.In...
of New York and the American Jewish World Service
American Jewish World Service
American Jewish World Service is a nonprofit international development organization, founded in 1985, which supports community-based organizations in 35 countries in the developing world and works to educate the American Jewish community about global justice...
, an international development organization. In 2005 he visited the Chad
Chad
Chad , officially known as the Republic of Chad, is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic to the south, Cameroon and Nigeria to the southwest, and Niger to the west...
–Darfur
Darfur
Darfur is a region in western Sudan. An independent sultanate for several hundred years, it was incorporated into Sudan by Anglo-Egyptian forces in 1916. The region is divided into three federal states: West Darfur, South Darfur, and North Darfur...
border area with an international humanitarian mission, and raised more than US$ 250,000 to aid Darfur refugees. He delivered the opening prayer for the 2006 Darfur rally in Washington, D.C. He was the only rabbi who participated in the 2009 Brookings
Brookings Institution
The Brookings Institution is a nonprofit public policy organization based in Washington, D.C., in the United States. One of Washington's oldest think tanks, Brookings conducts research and education in the social sciences, primarily in economics, metropolitan policy, governance, foreign policy, and...
U.S.-Islamic World Forum in Doha, Qatar, an annual conference designed to bring together key leaders in the worlds of politics, business, media, academia, and civil society from across the Muslim world and the United States. Following the devastating earthquake in Haiti in January 2010, he joined a delegation to assess disaster response. In July 2010 he participated in a protest in Sheikh Jarrah
Sheikh Jarrah
Sheikh Jarrah is a predominantly Palestinian neighborhood in East Jerusalem on the road to Mount Scopus.-History:Sheikh Jarrah was established on the slopes of Mount Scopus, taking its name from the tomb of Sheikh Jarrah. The tomb, dated to 1201, is the burial place of Husam al-Din al-Jarrahi, an...
, a Palestinian neighborhood of East Jerusalem, explaining: “I take issue with residents of east Jerusalem being taken out of their homes to make room for Jewish settlers”, in August of the same year he spoke on CNN in support of the proposed Islamic center near ground zero.
Jacobs has published several essays in Reform Judaism magazines and is working on his Ph.D. in ritual dance at New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
. He is also a senior rabbinic fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute
Shalom Hartman Institute
Shalom Hartman Institute is a Jewish research and education institute based in Jerusalem, Israel, that offers pluralistic Jewish thought and education to scholars, rabbis, educators, and Jewish community leaders in Israel and North America...
in Jerusalem. In 2007, he received a Doctor of Divinity
Doctor of Divinity
Doctor of Divinity is an advanced academic degree in divinity. Historically, it identified one who had been licensed by a university to teach Christian theology or related religious subjects....
honoris causa from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion.
Immediately after his nomination for the URJ presidency, The Daily Beast and Newsweek have put him as number seven on their 2011 list of “America's 50 Most Influential Rabbis”, describing him as “magnetic” and “known for prioritizing social justice ... and rethinking worship to engage the disaffected.” The Jewish Daily Forward has him on position three on the 2011 “Forward 50”, its list of the fity most significant American Jews.
Pointing out his view of the future of the Reform Movement to the URJ Board of Trustees in his acceptance speech after being unanimously elected president of the URJ on June 12, 2011, he said:
Jacobs is married to Susan Freedman
Susan Freedman
Susan K. Freedman is a leading supporter of contemporary public art in New York City. Since 1986, she is the president of the Public Art Fund, founded by her mother Doris Chanin Freedman in 1977. Freedman graduated from Brown University in 1982 with a B.A. in Studio Art and American Civilization....
, the President of the Public Art Fund
Public Art Fund
The Public Art Fund is a non-profit organization founded in 1977 by Doris Freedman , a Director of New York City's Department of Cultural Affairs, and the President of the Municipal Art Society. They have organized highly visible artists' projects, new commissions, installations and exhibitions in...
. The couple has three children, and resides in Scarsdale, NY. The family also owns an apartment in Jerusalem and often visits Israel.