Simon Jacobson (born December 8, 1956) is the author of Toward a Meaningful Life (William Morrow, 2002), founder of The Meaningful Life Center and publisher of the Yiddish English weekly, The Algemeiner Journal. Jacobson is a member of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement.
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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.[1]
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.[1]
Jacobson was also part of the research team for Sefer HaLikkutim – an encyclopedic collection of Chassidic thought anthologized from the works of Menachem Mendel Schneersohn (26 volumes, published 1977–1982).[1]
Jacobson heads The Meaningful Life Center, called a "spiritual Starbucks" by The New York Times.[2]
Jacobson is the author of the book Toward a Meaningful Life, a William Morrow publication that has sold more than 300,000 copies and has been translated into Hebrew, French, Spanish, Dutch, Portuguese, Italian, Russian, German, Hungarian, Polish and Czech.[3][4]
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[5] and AskMoses.com.[3]
Jacobson married on February 21, 1983, and has two children. His brother is Yosef Yitzchak Jacobson, a Chabad rabbi and dean and Rosh Yeshiva of TheYeshiva.net.[6]
The Rohr Jewish Learning Institute (JLI) will present Toward a Meaningful Life: A Soul-Searching Journey for Every Jew....Although the course is prepared by Rabbi Simon Jacobson, head of the Meaningful Life Center in New York City and author of the best-selling book Toward a Meaningful Life, the sessions are freestanding and no prior familiarity with the book is assumed.
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