Simon Jacobson

Life and early career

Jacobson was born in Brooklyn, New York, to a Chabad Hasidic family. He studied in the United Lubavitcher Yeshiva and the Rabbinical College of America, and did his post-graduate studies in Central Tomchei Tmimim. While still in yeshiva, Jacobson began working extensively as a choizer for the talks of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson the seventh Chabad rebbe.

Jacobson married on February 21, 1983, and has two children. His brother is Yosef Yitzchak Jacobson, a Chabad rabbi and the dean and Rosh Yeshiva of theyeshiva.net.

Vaad Hanachos Hatemimim

In 1979, Jacobson began directing 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 (when writing and tape recording are not permitted under Jewish Law). This team published more than 1,000 of the Rebbe's talks.

Sefer HaLikkutim project

Jacobson was also part of 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).

The Meaningful Life Center

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.

Toward a Meaningful Life

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, Polish and Czech.

The Algemeiner

Jacobson is also the publisher of the Yiddish English Weekly, The Algemeiner Journal. Many of his writings are syndicated on other Chabad websites, including Chabad.org and AskMoses.com.

Books