Fishel Jacobs (born March 21, 1956) is an American-Israeli rabbi, martial artist,"Rabbi at Karate Championship" COL Live. Retrieved September 19, 2016. ex-Israel prison service officer,"Jerusalem – Rabbi Behind Bars: The Story Of Karate Master Israeli Prison Chaplin Rabbi Fishel Jacobs" Vos Is Neias. Retrieved September 19, 2016. author,"Children's Book Rooted in Thousands Years-Old Parable" Chabad News. Retrieved September 19, 2016. and speaker.
Early years and education Jacobs was born in 1956 in Brooklyn, raised in Vermont,"Rabbi Behind Bars" Mishpacha. Retrieved September 19, 2016. 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. Jacobs holds a PhD degree (equivalency) from the Israel Department of Religion, and completed training as a Rabbinic attorney 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."Rabbi Blesses Karate Team" Traditional Karate Federation of Israel. Retrieved September 19, 2016.
Work 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).Cohen, David Elliot; Lee Liberman (1994). A Day in the Life of Israel. Diane Books Publishing Company (Originally Collins Pub San Francisco). .
In 2005, Jacobs published the first book describing life within the IPS,"Yom Kippur Behind Bars" Chabad News. Retrieved September 19, 2016."Hkratist multi prisons became number: Behind bars" Israel National News. Retrieved March 23, 2017. 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."Second Installment Of Two Kings Now Available" The Lakewood Scoop. Retrieved March 23, 2017."Welcome Rabbi Jacobs!" Jewish Books for Kids. Retrieved March 23, 2017.
Jacobs is a Chabad-Lubavitch Rabbi and speaker. He has published ten non-fiction books, including works on difficult areas of practical Talmudic law."Recommended literature" Best Jewish Studies. Retrieved March 23, 2017. His interviews, articles and columns have appeared in Jewish and mainstream media."Find Out What Life is Like in an Israeli Prison!" Israel National News. Retrieved September 19, 2016."Criminals Slammed for ‘Using’ Religion" Forward. Retrieved September 19, 2016."Mishpacha Magazine Profiles Rabbi Fishel Jacobs" Chabad News. Retrieved September 19, 2016.
Jacobs is the responding rabbi for a few websites that deal in practical Talmudic law."MIT Grad Builds Mikvah Calculator" COL Live. Retrieved August 3, 2017."Family Purity, 2.0: Check Out The Mikvah App" Union Orthodox. Retrieved August 3, 2017. He performs karate demonstrations while speaking at college campuses, youth groups, communities and corporations."THE TWO KINGS: FROM TANYA TO KINDERGARTENS" Bies Moshiach. Retrieved March 23, 2017."Watch: Rabbi Fishel Jacobs Breaks Bricks" Matzav. Retrieved March 23, 2017.
Personal life Jacobs is married to Miriam, the Director of Tan"ach (scriptural commentaries) division of Beth Rivkah Seminary, Kfar Chabad.
Publications Family Purity: A Guide to Family Purity, , Campus Living and Learning (2000)"A Computer Program to Enhance Your Mikveh Experience" Forward. Retrieved September 19, 2016. Israel Behind Bars: True Stories of Hope And Redemption, , (2005) Blech Book – Complete & Illustrated Guide, , Merkos Linyonei Chinuch (2007)"Water Blech" Jewish Recipes. Retrieved March 22, 2017. Two Kings, , Israel Bookshop Publications (2009)."Two Kings" Jewish Book Council. Retrieved September 19, 2016. Coffee Melts Bars: My Israeli Maximum Security Prison Life, , Gefen Publishing (2016)
References
External links Fishel Jacobs Official site