Jonathan Jacoby
Born (1953-10-21) October 21, 1953
NationalityAmerican
EducationUniversity of California at Los Angeles (BA)
Harvard University (MEd)
University of Judaism (B.Lit)
OccupationDirector of the Nexus Task Force
Known forSocial Activism
SpouseHope Grossman
Children3

Jonathan Jacoby (born October 21, 1953) is an American social entrepreneur, advocate, and leader known for his contributions in the fields of advocacy for Israeli-Palestinian peace, combatting antisemitism, Jewish communal life, and rare disease research.

Early life and education

Jonathan Jacoby was born in Los Angeles in 1953 to parents who had survived the Holocaust. His mother (Erika Jacoby) had survived Auschwitz[1] and his father (Emil Jacoby) was active in rescue operations for his fellow Jews in Hungary.[2]

Jacoby earned a Bachelor of Arts in History of Religion from the University of California at Los Angeles in 1976. Subsequently, he obtained a Master of Education degree from Harvard University in 1977. Continuing his academic journey, he received a Bachelor of Literature in Judaic Studies from the University of Judaism, Los Angeles, in 1978.

Career

Jacoby has played key roles in the establishment and leadership of several organizations and initiatives. He was the first Executive Director of the New Israel Fund (1982-1988).[3][4] During his tenure, NIF emerged as a prominent advocate for social justice and equality in Israel. He was a co-founder and Executive Director of the Israel Policy Forum (IPF), which he helped establish as a nonpartisan think tank focused on advocating sustainable solutions for the Arab-Israeli conflict.[3][5]

Jacoby founded the Nexus Task Force in 2019. In his current role as Director, Jacoby leads a study group that addresses Israel and antisemitism-related issues, emphasizing responsible discourse and preventing the political abuse of antisemitism.[6]

Jacoby's commitment to addressing rare diseases led to his co-founding of the Hide & Seek Foundation and the Support of Accelerated Research for Niemann Pick Disease Type C (SOAR-NPC). Through these initiatives, he has helped facilitate collaboration and funding for research in the field.[7]

Jacoby also served as the Senior Vice President of Programs for Jewish Life at the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles (2010 to 2013),[3] President at Americans for Peace Now (1989 to 1992)[8] and Chief Operating Officer of CollabRx, Inc., a Silicon Valley start-up, which provided information and consulting services related to rare diseases (2008-2009).[9]

Personal life

Jonathan Jacoby resides in Los Angeles. He is married to Hope Grossman and is a father to sons Jesse Jacoby Sucher and Joshua Jacoby Bojarsky, as well as a stepson, Justin Bolois.

Awards

  • 2016: RARE Champions of Hope – Collaborations in Science and Technology Award from Global Genes[10]
  • 2018: Career Achievement Award from the Jewish Communal Professionals of Southern California[4]
  • 2023: Persevere Award from the National Niemann Pick Disease Foundation[11]

References

  1. ↑ Ulman, Jane (2015-01-21). "Survivor: Erika Jacoby". Jewish Journal. Retrieved 2023-11-02.
  2. ↑ Ulman, Jane (2014-02-12). "Survivor: Emil Jacoby". Jewish Journal. Retrieved 2023-11-02.
  3. 1 2 3 Sichel, Jared (2014-09-03). "Jewish Federation executive, Jonathan Jacoby, moves to New Israel Fund". Jewish Journal. Retrieved 2023-11-03.
  4. 1 2 Torok, Ryan (2018-12-19). "LAMOTH Gala, Adat Ari El Anniversary". Jewish Journal. Retrieved 2023-11-02.
  5. ↑ "History - Israel Policy Forum". 2016-05-19. Retrieved 2023-11-03.
  6. ↑ Rosenfeld, Arno (2021-03-16). "New antisemitism definition does not include most criticism of Israel or Zionism". The Forward. Retrieved 2023-11-03.
  7. ↑ Walkley, Steven U.; Davidson, Cristin D.; Jacoby, Jonathan; Marella, Philip D.; Ottinger, Elizabeth A.; Austin, Christopher P.; Porter, Forbes D.; Vite, Charles H.; Ory, Daniel S. (2016-12-01). "Fostering collaborative research for rare genetic disease: the example of niemann-pick type C disease". Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases. 11 (1): 161. doi:10.1186/s13023-016-0540-x. ISSN 1750-1172. PMC 5131440. PMID 27903269.
  8. ↑ "THE MADRID SUMMIT". The Charlie Rose Show. 1991-10-29. Retrieved 2023-11-03.
  9. ↑ Marcus, Amy Dockser (2008-07-29). "Putting Drug Development In Patients' Hands". The Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2023-11-03.
  10. ↑ "2016 RARE Champion Of Hope Honorees". Global Genes. 2016-07-19. Retrieved 2023-11-03.
  11. ↑ "Family Support & Medical Conferences – NNPDF". Retrieved 2023-11-03.
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