Rabbi Rick Jacobs - President of the Union for Reform Judaism

Rabbi Rick Jacobs is president of the Union for Reform Judaism, the most powerful force in North American Jewish life. The URJ leads the largest and most diverse Jewish movement in North America, reaching more than 1.5 million people through nearly 850 congregations, 15 overnight camps, the Reform teen youth Movement NFTY, and the Religious Action Center in Washington DC.
A longtime and devoted creative change agent, Rabbi Jacobs spent 20 years as a visionary spiritual leader at Westchester Reform Temple (WRT) in Scarsdale, New York. Before that, during his tenure as the rabbi of the Brooklyn Heights Synagogue, he created the first homeless shelter in a New York City synagogue. Rabbi Jacobs has studied for two decades at Jerusalem's Shalom Hartman Institute, where he is a senior rabbinic fellow and is regularly featured in media outlets such as the New York Times, The Washington Post, Ha’aretz, The Forward, NPR, and CNN, among others.
In this final video of our series, Rabbi Jacobs emphasises the shared values of our two movements and highlights the importance of continuing as beacons across the Jewish community, welcoming all those who are “longing for the gifts of our communities.”Alongside his message of celebration for our landmark year, he commends us to remain in the pursuit of seeking justice - living in love, acceptance, strength and security. Committing to the vital importance of belonging to community wherever we are.
Rabbi Jacobs and his wife Susan K. Freedman have three children Aaron, David, and Sarah.