Community hub
Recent from talks
Knowledge base stats:
Talk channels stats:
Members stats:
Walter Jacob
Walter Jacob (March 13, 1930 – October 20, 2024) was an American Reform rabbi. He was rabbi at the Rodef Shalom Congregation in Pittsburgh from 1955 to 1997. He served as chairman of organizations such as the Central Conference of American Rabbis and World Union for Progressive Judaism. Jacob wrote a book, Christianity Through Jewish Eyes in 1974, leading to interfaith dialogue. He founded the Solomon B. Freehof Institute for Progressive Halakhah in 1991, an international forum for Jewish law. In Germany, he co-founded the Abraham Geiger College, the first rabbinic seminary in Central Europe since the Holocaust, in 1999.
Jacob was born in Augsburg, Germany, on March 13, 1930, into a family with rabbinic tradition for 17 generations. His father was Ernest Israel Jacob, district rabbi in Augsburg, and his grandfather was Benno Jacob, who was regarded as a great liberal Jewish bible commentator. His mother was Annette Loewenberg Jacob, and he grew up with a brother, Herbert. His father was deported to the Dachau concentration camp in 1938 for several months. Helped by American relatives, the family managed to flee Germany in 1939, first to London, and a year later to the United States. They settled in Missouri in 1943.
Jacob graduated with a B.A. from Drury College in Springfield, Missouri in 1950. He was ordained as a rabbi and received a Master of Hebrew Letters (M.H.L.) from the Hebrew Union College (HUC) in Cincinnati in 1955. He earned his D.H.L. in 1961 from HUC, which also granted him an honorary doctorate in 1975.
Jacob was adjunct professor at the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary from 1968 to 1974. He served as overseer of Jewish Institute of Religion at the Hebrew Union College and chairman of the publications committee of Hebrew Union College Press from 1976 to 1999.
He received an honorary doctorate from Drury College in 1990.
Following ordination, Jacob was named assistant rabbi at Rodef Shalom Congregation in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, under Rabbi Solomon Freehof. He served as a chaplain in the U.S. Air Force in the Philippines during the years 1955–57. In 1966, Jacob succeeded Freehof as senior rabbi, becoming emeritus in 1997. He served families over several generations. He continued the work of his grandfather, translating Benno Jacob's biblical commentaries.
Jacob was chairman of the Responsa committee of the Central Conference of American Rabbis from 1967 to 1990. He was president of the Religious Education Association of America from 1981 to 1985. He served as vice president of the World Union for Progressive Judaism, and chairman of its International Responsa Committee from 1990 to 1994, and was president of the Central Conference of American Rabbis from 1992 to 1994, emphasizing a broader Reform interpretation of the Jewish law (halakhah). He also served as chairman of the Associated American Jewish Museums which he had co-founded, to organize free art exhibits in synagogues and Jewish centers.
Jacob took a leading role in interfaith dialogue with his book Christianity Through Jewish Eyes, first published in 1974 and revised in 2007, which led to close friendship with Catholic bishops. Jacob was awarded the Order of St. Gregory the Great from Pope John Paul II in 2005.
Hub AI
Walter Jacob AI simulator
(@Walter Jacob_simulator)
Walter Jacob
Walter Jacob (March 13, 1930 – October 20, 2024) was an American Reform rabbi. He was rabbi at the Rodef Shalom Congregation in Pittsburgh from 1955 to 1997. He served as chairman of organizations such as the Central Conference of American Rabbis and World Union for Progressive Judaism. Jacob wrote a book, Christianity Through Jewish Eyes in 1974, leading to interfaith dialogue. He founded the Solomon B. Freehof Institute for Progressive Halakhah in 1991, an international forum for Jewish law. In Germany, he co-founded the Abraham Geiger College, the first rabbinic seminary in Central Europe since the Holocaust, in 1999.
Jacob was born in Augsburg, Germany, on March 13, 1930, into a family with rabbinic tradition for 17 generations. His father was Ernest Israel Jacob, district rabbi in Augsburg, and his grandfather was Benno Jacob, who was regarded as a great liberal Jewish bible commentator. His mother was Annette Loewenberg Jacob, and he grew up with a brother, Herbert. His father was deported to the Dachau concentration camp in 1938 for several months. Helped by American relatives, the family managed to flee Germany in 1939, first to London, and a year later to the United States. They settled in Missouri in 1943.
Jacob graduated with a B.A. from Drury College in Springfield, Missouri in 1950. He was ordained as a rabbi and received a Master of Hebrew Letters (M.H.L.) from the Hebrew Union College (HUC) in Cincinnati in 1955. He earned his D.H.L. in 1961 from HUC, which also granted him an honorary doctorate in 1975.
Jacob was adjunct professor at the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary from 1968 to 1974. He served as overseer of Jewish Institute of Religion at the Hebrew Union College and chairman of the publications committee of Hebrew Union College Press from 1976 to 1999.
He received an honorary doctorate from Drury College in 1990.
Following ordination, Jacob was named assistant rabbi at Rodef Shalom Congregation in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, under Rabbi Solomon Freehof. He served as a chaplain in the U.S. Air Force in the Philippines during the years 1955–57. In 1966, Jacob succeeded Freehof as senior rabbi, becoming emeritus in 1997. He served families over several generations. He continued the work of his grandfather, translating Benno Jacob's biblical commentaries.
Jacob was chairman of the Responsa committee of the Central Conference of American Rabbis from 1967 to 1990. He was president of the Religious Education Association of America from 1981 to 1985. He served as vice president of the World Union for Progressive Judaism, and chairman of its International Responsa Committee from 1990 to 1994, and was president of the Central Conference of American Rabbis from 1992 to 1994, emphasizing a broader Reform interpretation of the Jewish law (halakhah). He also served as chairman of the Associated American Jewish Museums which he had co-founded, to organize free art exhibits in synagogues and Jewish centers.
Jacob took a leading role in interfaith dialogue with his book Christianity Through Jewish Eyes, first published in 1974 and revised in 2007, which led to close friendship with Catholic bishops. Jacob was awarded the Order of St. Gregory the Great from Pope John Paul II in 2005.