Yosef Yitzchak Jacobson

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Mashpiim and scholars Aaron of Staroselye Shmuley Boteach Herman Branover Yehuda Chitrik Levi Cooper Manis Friedman Mendel Futerfas Yitzchak Ginsburgh Menachem Z. Greenglass Moshe Gutnick Moshe Havlin Zalman M. HaYitzchaki Aizel Homiler Simon Jacobson Yisroel Jacobson Yosef Y. Jacobson Yoel Kahn Abraham Y. Khein Yehoshua Mondshine Avraham C. Naeh Nissan Neminov Hillel Paritcher Ezra Schochet Adin Steinsaltz Shais Taub Sholom Dov Wolpo Shlomo Y. Zevin
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Yosef Yitzchak Jacobson was born to Gershon Jacobson, a journalist, in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. His family was Chabad Hasidic. He began his studies in Oholei Torah, later moving on to Tomchei Temimim, a yeshiva located in Chabad's World Headquarters ("770").

In 1990, at the age of 17, Jacobson was recruited by his older brother Simon to join the team that prepared the public addresses of Menachem Mendel Schneerson for publication. Orthodox Jews being prohibited from using recording devices on Shabbat and Jewish Holidays, they were charged with memorizing these 5 hour long talks and later transcribing them, in a role known as choizer or meiniach.[1]

As a senior fellow, Jacobson taught Talmud, Kabbalah, and Hasidic philosophy at Chabad Lubavitch Rabbinical Seminary Chovevei Torah.[2]

Jacobson was initially tested on his semikhah (rabbinic ordination) by Pinhas Hirschprung as well as by Zalman Labkowsky. Having to still complete a last part of his test, Jacobson returned to 770 in 2011 to get tested and receive his rabbinical ordination through Labkowsky.[3]

In 2005, Jacobson followed in the footsteps of his father, becoming editor-in-chief of the Yiddish weekly Algemeiner Journal, which he contributed to for a number of years.[2] He was a mashpia (spiritual mentor) at the Chovevei Torah Yeshiva in Crown Heights, and a teacher at the Ohr Chaim Learning Center in Monsey, New York.

Jacobson holds public talks on many subjects. Some noted talks included:

• The role of religious leaders in today's world.[4][5]
• The Rebbe and the Rav.[6]
• Spiritual Leadership in Persistent Conflict[7]
• 2008 keynote address at the annual US military Chief of Chaplains Senior Leadership Training Conference, as the first rabbi to give this keynote[8]

Jacobson authored the following series

• "A Tale of Two Souls" on the Tanya[9]
• "A Journey Through the fundamentals of chassidus" in conjunction with Mayan Yisroel of Flatbush[10]
• Emunah Series[11]
• Captain, My Captain[2]

Jacobson lives with his family in Monsey. His siblings are author Simon Jacobson, Boruch Sholom Jacobson—a Chabad shliach at Hunter College, Freida Hecht of Norwalk, Connecticut, and Chana Krasnianski of Manhattan.

• TheYeshiva.net