Rabbi Shalom Jacobson, who served as a member of Vaad L’Hafotzas Sichos which published the Rebbe’s sichos, and served as a mashpia in Crown Heights, passed away on Tuesday, 18 Av. Levaya will take place on Wednesday.
By Anash.org reporter
Rabbi Shalom Jacobson, who served as a member of Vaad L’Hafotzas Sichos which printed the Rebbe’s sichos, and served as a mashpia in Crown Heights, passed away on Tuesday, 18 Av, 5781.
He was 74 years old.
Shalom was born to Simon and Frieda Yaakovshvili in the Poking DP camp in Germany. As a teenager, his father had learned in the original Tomchei Tmimim in Lubavitch. After his marriage, he was arrested by the KGB for spreading Yiddishkeit and was exiled to Siberia. During the ‘Great Escape’ of Lubavitcher Chassidim to Poland after WWII, he escaped with his family, and was placed in the DP camp with the other chassidim, and it was there Shalom was born.
Following the family’s move to the USA, Shalom became involved with Vaad L’hafotzas Sichos, which had been created by Reb Bentche Shemtov to prepare, publish and distribute the Rebbe’s sichos.
In 5733, he married Faigel Springer in Eretz Yisroel. At the farbrengen on the Shabbos before the wedding, the Rebbe called Shalom up, and gave him a bottle of mashke, asking him to deliver it to Israeli President Zalman Shazar during a farbrengen marking his birthday in Yerushalayim. Ahead of the wedding, the Rebbe edited sichos in advance to be ready for the time that Rabbi Jacobson would be in Eretz Yisroel.
Over the next decades, Rabbi Jacoboson served as a member of Vaad L’hafotzas Sichos, and as a member of Otzar Hachassidim which prepared works of Chassidus for publication. When the Rebbe began encouraging the printing of Tanya in every location where Yidden live, Rabbi Jacobson took an active role in the printings, and was appointed to assign a number to each Tanya printed.
In recent years, Rabbi Jacobson served as the mashpia in the Ahavas Moshe Shul in Crown Heights, and gave a set shiur in the shul at 770 Lefferts.
He is survived by his wife Faigel and their children Levi Jacobson – Toronto, Ontario; Frieda Shusterman – Indianapolis, Indiana; Simon Jacobson – Charlotte County, Florida; Doba Webb – Midtown Manhattan, New York; Chana Steinmetz; Chaim Moshe Jacobson; Menachem Mendel Jacobson and Shmuel Jacobson.
The levaya will take place on Wednesday, 19 Av, beginning 10:00 AM at Shomrei Hadas and passing by 770 at 11:00 AM.
Baruch Dayan Ha’emes – R’ Shalom ben R’ Simon
Rabbi Jacobson was my teacher in Machon Chana in the 90s and always had us over to his home for Shabbos meals and anything we needed. He was a huge part of the lives of his students and truly created a home-away-from-home for us all. His birthday was Zayin Adar which I think of every year and how appropriate it was that her merited this day connected to Moshe Rabbeinu. He will be extremely missed.
I agree with my dear friend Sara Esther. Rabbi Jacobson will be sorely missed. As a teacher at Machon Chana, he cared for us so much. He was always aware of our needs, whether they be spiritual, physical or emotional. I had lost touch with him over the years but will never forget the impression he left on me: a true chassid always CARES. Like a father, a true chassid cares for the well-being of his students. He forgets nothing and concerns himself with everything. I will miss this great man and I have tremendous appreciation for the care and concern he consistently showed me. I send much love and appreciation to his whole family.