Rabbi Paul J Jacobson was born in Red Bank, New Jersey in 1979. He graduated from Washington University in St Louis with College Honors after earning a bachelor’s degree in History and Spanish with a minor in the Humanities. Following his graduation from Washington University in 2001, Rabbi Jacobson enrolled in Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion rabbinical school, spending his first year in Jerusalem and subsequent years on the Cincinnati campus.

Rabbi Jacobson is a passionate and energetic teacher who enjoys working with people of all ages. Since arriving in Sydney in July 2006, he has participated in all aspects of congregational life. He has offered a number of Torah chanting classes, helping enable more teenagers and adults to participate in synagogue services. Additionally, he teaches regularly at the Emanuel School and through the Florence Melton Adult Mini-School, supervises the “Pizza with the Rabbi” programme for post-b’nei mitzvah students and has coordinated numerous young adult activities for the Emanuel community. In February 2009, he was selected as a participant for the International Nahum Goldmann Fellowship, a programme for young leaders between the ages of 25-40 to address the future of Jewish communal life throughout the world. Participation in this programme has impacted greatly on his professional and rabbinic development. As a complement to his work with the Jewish community, Rabbi Jacobson believes in the importance of interfaith dialogue, and regularly participates on panel discussions with representatives of other faiths. He is currently becoming accredited as a chaplain through the New South Wales Disaster Recovery Network.

Rabbi Jacobson and his wife Lisa make their home in Bondi. They love to host community members in their home for Shabbat and Festivals. In their spare time they enjoy spending time with friends, walking along the beach, watching movies, travelling, reading, and solving crossword puzzles. Rabbi Jacobson is an avid baseball fan and loves listening to classical music and playing the piano.