Fishel Jacobs

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Fishel Jacobs
Born (1956-03-21) 21 March 1956 (age 68)
NationalityAmerican
EducationUniversity of Vermont[1][2]
Occupation(s)Rabbi, author, speaker
Known forFamily Purity—Guide To Marital Fulfillment; Coffee Melts Bars; Two Kings children's books
SpouseMiriam
Websitewww.rabbijacobs.com
www.powerrabbi.com

Fishel Jacobs (born March 21, 1956) is an American-Israeli rabbi, martial artist,[3] ex-Israel prison service officer,[4] author,[5] and speaker.

Early years and education[edit]

Jacobs was born in 1956 in Brooklyn, raised in Vermont,[6] and has lived in Israel since 1979. In 1974, Jacobs earned a black belt in karate from the International Tang Soo Do Association. He graduated from the University of Vermont. [7] Jacobs holds a PhD degree (equivalency) from the Israel Department of Religion, and completed training as a Rabbinic attorney[8] from the Harry Fischel Institute for Talmudic Research. In 2006, he was promoted to Eighth Degree Black Belt Master Instructor by Dr. Grandmaster Tae Yun Kim.[9]

Photo of Rabbi Fishel Jacobs teaching inmates in Israeli Prison

Work[edit]

After spending fourteen years studying in the rabbinical school, Tomchei Temimim, in Kfar Chabad, Israel, Jacobs served as emissary of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Schneersohn from 1998 to 2007, and the Chabad-Lubavitch Campus chaplain at Tel Aviv University. Concurrently, from 1992 until 2005 he served as a full-time chaplain, a staff-officer with the rank of Major, in the Israel Prison Service (IPS).[10]

In 2005, Jacobs published the first book describing life within the IPS,[11][12] republished in 2016 under the title Coffee Melts Bars: My Israeli Prison Career. He is also the author of the Two Kings series of children's books.[13][14]

Jacobs is a Chabad-Lubavitch Rabbi and speaker. He has published ten non-fiction books, including works on difficult areas of practical Talmudic law.[15] His interviews, articles and columns have appeared in Jewish and mainstream media.[16][17][18]

Jacobs is the responding rabbi for a few websites that deal in practical Talmudic law.[19][20] He performs karate demonstrations while speaking at college campuses, youth groups, communities and corporations.[21][22]

Personal life[edit]

Jacobs is married to Miriam, the Director of Tan"ach (scriptural commentaries) division of Beth Rivkah Seminary, Kfar Chabad. They have seven children.[citation needed]

Publications[edit]

  • Family Purity: A Guide to Family Purity, ISBN 978-0967348186, Campus Living and Learning (2000)[23]
  • Israel Behind Bars: True Stories of Hope And Redemption, ISBN 978-0977673605, (2005)
  • Blech Book – Complete & Illustrated Guide, ISBN 978-0967348179, Merkos Linyonei Chinuch (2007)[24]
  • Two Kings, ISBN 978-0967348148, Israel Bookshop Publications (2009).[25]
  • Coffee Melts Bars: My Israeli Maximum Security Prison Life, ISBN 978-0986231902, Gefen Publishing (2016)

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Class of '80" Vermont Quarterly. Retrieved August 3, 2017.
  2. ^ "Alumni News" Archived August 4, 2017, at the Wayback Machine University of Vermont Department of Religion Newsletter. Retrieved August 3, 2017.
  3. ^ "Rabbi at Karate Championship" COL Live. Retrieved September 19, 2016.
  4. ^ "Jerusalem – Rabbi Behind Bars: The Story Of Karate Master Israeli Prison Chaplin Rabbi Fishel Jacobs" Vos Is Neias. Retrieved September 19, 2016.
  5. ^ "Children's Book Rooted in Thousands Years-Old Parable" Chabad News. Retrieved September 19, 2016.
  6. ^ "Rabbi Behind Bars" Archived September 19, 2016, at the Wayback Machine Mishpacha. Retrieved September 19, 2016.
  7. ^ "Jerusalem – Rabbi Behind Bars: The Story of Karate Master Israeli Prison Chaplin Rabbi Fishel Jacobs". November 28, 2011.
  8. ^ www.chabad.org https://www.chabad.org/therebbe/article_cdo/aid/3915599/jewish/Against-all-Odds.htm/. Retrieved July 19, 2019. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)[title missing]
  9. ^ "Rabbi Blesses Karate Team" Archived September 19, 2016, at the Wayback Machine Traditional Karate Federation of Israel. Retrieved September 19, 2016.
  10. ^ Cohen, David Elliot; Lee Liberman (1994). A Day in the Life of Israel. Diane Books Publishing Company (Originally Collins Pub San Francisco). ISBN 978-0-7881-5162-0.
  11. ^ "Yom Kippur Behind Bars" Chabad News. Retrieved September 19, 2016.
  12. ^ "Hkratist multi prisons became number: Behind bars" Israel National News. Retrieved March 23, 2017.
  13. ^ "Second Installment Of Two Kings Now Available" The Lakewood Scoop. Retrieved March 23, 2017.
  14. ^ "Welcome Rabbi Jacobs!" Jewish Books for Kids. Retrieved March 23, 2017.
  15. ^ "Recommended literature" Archived January 11, 2017, at the Wayback Machine Best Jewish Studies. Retrieved March 23, 2017.
  16. ^ "Find Out What Life is Like in an Israeli Prison!" Israel National News. Retrieved September 19, 2016.
  17. ^ "Criminals Slammed for ‘Using’ Religion" Forward. Retrieved September 19, 2016.
  18. ^ "Mishpacha Magazine Profiles Rabbi Fishel Jacobs" Chabad News. Retrieved September 19, 2016.
  19. ^ "MIT Grad Builds Mikvah Calculator" COL Live. Retrieved August 3, 2017.
  20. ^ "Family Purity, 2.0: Check Out The Mikvah App" Union Orthodox. Retrieved August 3, 2017.
  21. ^ "THE TWO KINGS: FROM TANYA TO KINDERGARTENS" Bies Moshiach. Retrieved March 23, 2017.
  22. ^ "Watch: Rabbi Fishel Jacobs Breaks Bricks" Matzav. Retrieved March 23, 2017.
  23. ^ "A Computer Program to Enhance Your Mikveh Experience" Forward. Retrieved September 19, 2016.
  24. ^ "Water Blech" Archived September 8, 2015, at the Wayback Machine Jewish Recipes. Retrieved March 22, 2017.
  25. ^ "Two Kings" Archived September 19, 2016, at the Wayback Machine Jewish Book Council. Retrieved September 19, 2016.

External links[edit]