Simon Jacobson
Encyclopedia
Simon Jacobson is the author of Toward a Meaningful Life (William Morrow, 2002), founder of The Meaningful Life Center and publisher of the Yiddish English weekly, The Algemeiner Journal
.
, New York
. He studied in the United Lubavitcher Yeshiva and the Rabbinical College of America
, and did his Post-Graduate studies in Central Tomchei Tmimim
. He married on February 21, 1983 and has two children.
He worked in close association with the Lubavitcher Rebbe
, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson
. In 1979, he headed a team of scholars known as Vaad Hanachos Hatemimim that memorized
and transcribed
entire talks that the Lubavitcher Rebbe gave during the Sabbath
and holidays (as writing and tape recording are not permitted on holy days). This team published more than 1,000 of the Rebbe's talks. He also headed the research team for Sefer HaLikkutim - an encyclopedic collection of Chassidic
thought anthologized from the works of the Tzemach Tzedek (26 volumes, published 1977-1982).
Jacobson heads The Meaningful Life Center called a "spiritual Starbucks" by The New York Times
. He is a sought-after speaker in the Jewish world today. He has lectured to diverse audiences on six continents and in forty states on psycho-spiritual issues and applying Jewish thought to contemporary life. He has been interviewed on over 300 radio and TV shows, including CNN with Larry King
, Charlie Rose
, and the CBS News Show “The Best of Us.” In 2010, Rabbi Jacobson appeared in the award-winning film, The Human Experience
.
Jacobson is the author of the best-selling book Toward a Meaningful Life, a William Morrow
publication that has sold more than 300,000 copies to date and has been translated into Hebrew
, French
, Spanish
, Dutch
, Portuguese
, Italian
, Russian
, German
, Hungarian
and Czech
. Jacobson is also the publisher of the Yiddish English Weekly, The Algemeiner Journal. Many of his writings are syndicated in sites all over including Chabad.org
and AskMoses.com
.
Algemeiner Journal
The Algemeiner Journal is a New York-based Jewish, Yiddish and English weekly newspaper.- History :The Algemeiner Journal was founded in 1972 by Gershon Jacobson . The Algemeiner is currently owned and operated by the Gershon Jacobson Jewish Continuity Foundation...
.
Life and career
Jacobson was born in BrooklynBrooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. He studied in the United Lubavitcher Yeshiva and the Rabbinical College of America
Rabbinical College of America
The Rabbinical College of America is one of the largest Chabad Lubavitch Chasidic Yeshivas in the world. The Yeshiva is located in Morristown, New Jersey and has trained thousands of Rabbinic students. The Yeshiva is supported by Jewish philanthropists such as David T. Chase, and Ronald Lauder of...
, and did his Post-Graduate studies in Central Tomchei Tmimim
Tomchei Temimim
Tomchei Temimim is the central Yeshiva of the Chabad-Lubavitch Hasidic movement...
. He married on February 21, 1983 and has two children.
He worked in close association with the Lubavitcher Rebbe
Rebbe
Rebbe , which means master, teacher, or mentor, is a Yiddish word derived from the Hebrew word Rabbi. It often refers to the leader of a Hasidic Jewish movement...
, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson
Menachem Mendel Schneerson
Menachem Mendel Schneerson , known as the Lubavitcher Rebbe or just the Rebbe among his followers, was a prominent Hasidic rabbi who was the seventh and last Rebbe of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement. He was fifth in a direct paternal line to the third Chabad-Lubavitch Rebbe, Menachem Mendel...
. In 1979, he headed a team of scholars known as Vaad Hanachos Hatemimim that memorized
Choizer
Choizer lit. "one who reviews," pl. choizrim is a title that refers to a rabbi who memorizes the teachings of one of the Rebbes of the Chabad-Lubavitch Hasidic movement. This term is unique to that movement....
and transcribed
Meiniach
Maniach lit. "one who places," pl. Manichim is a title that refers to a rabbi who transcribes the teachings of one of the Rebbes of the Chabad-Lubavitch Hasidic movement...
entire talks that the Lubavitcher Rebbe gave during the Sabbath
Shabbat
Shabbat is the seventh day of the Jewish week and a day of rest in Judaism. Shabbat is observed from a few minutes before sunset on Friday evening until a few minutes after when one would expect to be able to see three stars in the sky on Saturday night. The exact times, therefore, differ from...
and holidays (as writing and tape recording are not permitted on holy days). This team published more than 1,000 of the Rebbe's talks. He also headed the research team for Sefer HaLikkutim - an encyclopedic collection of Chassidic
Hasidic Judaism
Hasidic Judaism or Hasidism, from the Hebrew —Ḥasidut in Sephardi, Chasidus in Ashkenazi, meaning "piety" , is a branch of Orthodox Judaism that promotes spirituality and joy through the popularisation and internalisation of Jewish mysticism as the fundamental aspects of the Jewish faith...
thought anthologized from the works of the Tzemach Tzedek (26 volumes, published 1977-1982).
Jacobson heads The Meaningful Life Center called a "spiritual Starbucks" by The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
. He is a sought-after speaker in the Jewish world today. He has lectured to diverse audiences on six continents and in forty states on psycho-spiritual issues and applying Jewish thought to contemporary life. He has been interviewed on over 300 radio and TV shows, including CNN with Larry King
Larry King Live
Larry King Live is an American talk show hosted by Larry King on CNN from 1985 to 2010. It was CNN's most watched and longest-running program, with over one million viewers nightly....
, Charlie Rose
Charlie Rose (talk show)
Charlie Rose is an American television interview show, with Charlie Rose as executive producer, executive editor, and host. The show is syndicated...
, and the CBS News Show “The Best of Us.” In 2010, Rabbi Jacobson appeared in the award-winning film, The Human Experience
The Human Experience
The Human Experience is a documentary film, produced by Grassroots Films, which tells the story of and his travels, as he searches for answers to the question: what does it mean to be human? The film is divided into the three experiences, which take Jeffrey and his friends to New York, to Peru,...
.
Jacobson is the author of the best-selling book Toward a Meaningful Life, a William Morrow
William Morrow and Company
William Morrow and Company is an American publishing company founded by William Morrow in 1926. The company was acquired by Scott Foresman in 1967, and sold to Hearst Corporation in 1981. It was sold along to the News Corporation in 1999...
publication that has sold more than 300,000 copies to date and has been translated into Hebrew
Hebrew language
Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...
, French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
, Dutch
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
, Portuguese
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
, Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
, Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
, German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
, Hungarian
Hungarian language
Hungarian is a Uralic language, part of the Ugric group. With some 14 million speakers, it is one of the most widely spoken non-Indo-European languages in Europe....
and Czech
Czech language
Czech is a West Slavic language with about 12 million native speakers; it is the majority language in the Czech Republic and spoken by Czechs worldwide. The language was known as Bohemian in English until the late 19th century...
. Jacobson is also the publisher of the Yiddish English Weekly, The Algemeiner Journal. Many of his writings are syndicated in sites all over including Chabad.org
Chabad.org
Chabad.org is the flagship website of the Chabad-Lubavitch Hasidic movement. It serves not just its own members but Jews worldwide in general. It was one of the first Jewish internet sites and the first and largest virtual congregation.-History:...
and AskMoses.com
AskMoses.com
AskMoses.com is a "hot line" website for people with questions about or related to Judaism or who have a moral dilemma they wish to solve through Judaism. It offers live chatting and a database of questions that have been asked. The advice is given from a strictly religious point of view, as the...
.
Books
- Toward a Meaningful Life, 1995 ISBN 978-0-9612088-1-3
- Spiritual Guide to Counting the OmerCounting of the OmerCounting of the Omer is a verbal counting of each of the forty-nine days between the Jewish holidays of Passover and Shavuot...
, 1996 ISBN 0-06-051190-7 - 60 DAYS: A Spiritual Guide to the High Holidays, 2003 ISBN 1-886587-24-8