Today we’d like to introduce you to Rabbi Cheryl Jacobs
Hi Rabbi Cheryl, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
My journey to the rabbinate began in college, though I had no idea this is where I would ultimately land. I entered college determined to become a dentist, like my father and brother. However, once there I realized that I was missing one major thing…an aptitude for science and math. I happened to be taking a course on world religions that I found fascinating and began to think of ways that I could turn my interest in the study of religion into a career. Having grown up Jewish, I felt I needed to know more about other religions, so I applied and was admitted to the Yale University Divinity School upon graduation from college. I was the only Jew in the program, and I realized during my time there, how little I truly knew about my own Judaism. Others wanted to learn from me, but I didn’t have the depth of knowledge to educate them. I decided that I wanted to become a professor of religions, having gained an amazing background and a Master’s Degree in Christian History, but now I felt I needed more of an education in my own Judaism, and so, at the urging of my advisor at Yale, a famous Christian historian, I applied and I was admitted to the Jewish Theological Seminary of America in the PhD program, concentrating in Biblical Studies. I loved the academic study, but it was a time of great tumult and upheaval in the America, especially in New York City. The HIV/AIDS crisis was at an all-time high, homelessness had skyrocketed and crime was up as well. I saw many clergy of other faiths standing up to try and make a change, but I was dismayed that there was very little representation from the leaders of the Jewish community. Although I had finished my classwork, I abandoned by PhD program and enrolled in the school’s rabbinical program, with the ultimate goal of being one of those Jewish leaders that would try and make a difference in the world.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Nothing worth achieving is reached on a smooth road. There have been many bumps along the way. Being a woman in what was a male dominated field has been a challenge, especially in Florida. People still have the conception of a rabbi as an old male with a long white beard…and I definitely don’t fit that stereotype. And of course, the rampant anti-semitism in the world is unforgivable. I have a congregation and a community that I want to support and keep safe – while dealing with the pain of October 7th, 2023. It’s exhausting to feel that I always need to “fight for my people”. But I will continue to do so for as long as I need to.
We’ve been impressed with Ramat Shalom Beth Israel , but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Our congregation is warm, loving and vibrant. My husband, Rabbi Andrew Jacobs and Cantor Jodi Rozental and I are the “clergy team” and I think that we are blessed to have a community that is rooted in tradition, while embracing the times that we live in. I am the Director of Lifelong Learning and Engagement at Ramat Shalom Beth Israel (RSBI), so I am responsible for all of our Educational programs – an amazing Early Childhood Center, a wonderful Torah School, Adult Education programs and terrific Youth Groups. I also direct all programming, and there’s so much going on! And I make sure that our members are happy, and that we can be a welcoming place for all those looking to connect. And of course, I “rabbi” – leading services, lending an ear, counseling and working with our amazing students on their Bar and Bat Mitzvah. There is always something going on in our congregation and we have truly succeeded in growing a warm community where everyone is family.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
The diversity and vibrancy of Miami is unlike anywhere else. I think the colors are brighter, the sounds are clearer and the beauty cannot be compared. But, I am a New England girl, born and raised in Boston…so the fact that we don’t have leaves that change colors in the fall and that it’s still 95 degrees in October really, really makes me sad.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.rsbi.org
- Instagram: rsbisynagogue
- Facebook: rsbisynagogue
