Rabbi Joshua Jacobs

Rabbi Joshua Jacobs joined B’nai Jeshurun Congregation in 2023. He received his undergraduate degree from Emory University and his rabbinic ordination from the Ziegler School, during which time he became a Wexner fellow. Born in Los Angeles, he pursued writing for television, only to learn that each episode he wrote was a thinly veiled D’var Torah. A firm believer that story-telling is the most powerful vehicle for good ideas, he is fully committed to the Jewish story, seeking a life of service to people and conversation with God. He participated in the JDC Bar/Bat Mitzvah Program in Tomsk, Siberia, where he officiated a joint B’nai Mitzvah for 50 Siberian Jews. In 2020, he administered spiritual care to patients at Cedar-Sinai hospital in Los Angeles as a chaplain intern, and this experience enabled him to co-author a chapter on Jewish approaches to end-of-life practices for a medical publication. Also in Los Angeles, he was a rabbinic intern at Temple Beth Am and Valley Beth Shalom, the latter of which is his day school alma mater, where he first fell in love with living Jewishly. The next time he fell in love was with his wife, Rabbi Alex Rosenbaum, whom he met at Ziegler. Taking “your people shall be my people” from the Book of Ruth literally, Rabbi Jacobs could not be more honored and excited to become a Clevelander and part of the fabric of the warm and vibrant B’nai Jeshurun community. Together, they have a shepherd mix named Tula, who cannot wait for Canine Shabbat.