Jonathan Jacoby

Jonathan Jacoby was born in Los Angeles in 1953 to parents who had survived the Holocaust. His mother (Erika Jacoby) had survived Auschwitz{{Cite news |last=Ulman |first=Jane |date=2015-01-21 |title=Survivor: Erika Jacoby |work=Jewish Journal |url=https://jewishjournal.com/culture/154019/ |access-date=2023-11-02}} and his father (Emil Jacoby) was active in rescue operations for his fellow Jews in Hungary.{{Cite news |last=Ulman |first=Jane |date=2014-02-12 |title=Survivor: Emil Jacoby |work=Jewish Journal |url=https://jewishjournal.com/culture/126790/ |access-date=2023-11-02}}

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.{{Cite book |url=https://www.worldcat.org/title/394938725 |title=Venture philanthropy strategies to support translational research: workshop summary |date=2009 |publisher=National Academies Press |isbn=978-0-309-11666-4 |editor-last=Hanson |editor-first=Sarah L. |location=Washington, DC |pages=80 |oclc=394938725 |editor-last2=Nadig |editor-first2=Lori |editor-last3=Altevogt |editor-first3=Bruce M. |editor-last4=Institute of Medicine (U.S.) |editor-last5=Institute of Medicine (U.S.)}}

Jacoby has played key roles in the establishment and leadership of several advocacy and policy organizations and initiatives.{{Cite news |last=Gootman |first=Elissa |date=2000-03-03 |title=Barak's Favorite Peace Group Loses Its Founder |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/367609823 |url-access=limited |access-date=2024-03-26 |work=The Forward|id={{ProQuest|367609823}} }}{{Cite book |last=Chafets |first=Zeʾev |title=Members of the tribe: on the road in Jewish America |date=1988 |publisher=Bantam Books |isbn=978-0-553-05308-1 |location=Toronto; New York |pages=74–78}}

He was the first Executive Director of the New Israel Fund (1982–1988).{{Cite news |last=Sichel |first=Jared |date=2014-09-03 |title=Jewish Federation executive, Jonathan Jacoby, moves to New Israel Fund |work=Jewish Journal |url=https://jewishjournal.com/news/california/132902/ |access-date=2023-11-03}}{{Cite news |last=Winston |first=Pickett |date=1995-06-23 |title=NEW AGE REVOLUTIONARY |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/321165927 |url-access=limited |access-date=2024-03-26 |work=The Jerusalem Post|id={{ProQuest|321165927}} }}{{Cite news |last=Torok |first=Ryan |date=2018-12-19 |title=LAMOTH Gala, Adat Ari El Anniversary |url=https://jewishjournal.com/events/movers-shakers/291380/lamoth-gala-adat-ari-el-anniversary/ |access-date=2023-11-02 |work=Jewish Journal}} During his tenure, NIF emerged as a prominent advocate for social justice and equality in Israel.

Jacoby 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.{{Cite web |date=2016-05-19 |title=History - Israel Policy Forum |url=https://israelpolicyforum.org/history/,%20https://israelpolicyforum.org/history/ |access-date=2023-11-03 |language=en-US}}

A longtime peace activist and Jewish community leader, Jacoby also served as President of Americans for Peace Now (1989 to 1992){{cite news |last=Muchin |first=Andrew |date=1991-08-23 |title=Keep pressuring Shamir: peacenik |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/50013383/ |access-date=2024-03-19 |newspaper=Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle |page=5 |via=Newspapers.com}}{{Cite news |date=1991-10-29 |title=THE MADRID SUMMIT |url=https://charlierose.com/videos/3275 |access-date=2023-11-03 |work=The Charlie Rose Show}}{{Cite book |last=Fleshler |first=Dan |title=Transforming America's Israel lobby: the limits of its power and the potential for change |date=2009-05-01 |publisher=Potomac Books |isbn=978-1-59797-222-2 |edition=1st |location=Washington, D.C}} and Senior Vice President of Programs for Jewish Life at the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles (2010 to 2013).

In October 1991, Jacoby was a guest on an episode of the Charlie Rose Show, dealing with the Madrid Conference of 1991, an attempt by the international community to revive the Israeli–Palestinian peace process through negotiations, which was due to convene the following day. The participants discussed the prospects for peace and the obstacles facing the peace-makers.

In 2019, Jacoby founded the Nexus Task Force, which developed the Nexus Document, a new definition of antisemitism as it relates to Israel, the first of its kind since the creation of the IHRA working definition of antisemitism. The U.S. National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism, released by the Biden Administration in May 2023, "welcomes and appreciates the Nexus Document".{{Cite web |date=2023-05-25 |title=THE U.S. NATIONAL STRATEGY TO COUNTER ANTISEMITISM |url=https://bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/U.S.-National-Strategy-to-Counter-Antisemitism.pdf |access-date=2023-05-25 |website=The White House}} In his role as Director, Jacoby leads a group that addresses Israel and antisemitism-related issues, emphasizing responsible discourse and preventing the political abuse of antisemitism.{{Cite news |last=Rosenfeld |first=Arno |date=2021-03-16 |title=New antisemitism definition does not include most criticism of Israel or Zionism |work=The Forward |url=https://forward.com/news/465890/with-backing-of-liberal-jewish-leaders-new-definition-distances-israel/ |access-date=2023-11-03}}{{Cite news |date=2023-12-14 |title=CQ News |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/2903031716 |url-access=limited |access-date=2024-03-26 |work=Congressional Quarterly|id={{ProQuest|2903031716}} }}

In January 2024, Jacoby became the National Director of the newly-formed Nexus Project, which was created to promote the principles in the Nexus Document among Jewish community leaders and US policymakers.{{Cite news |last=Rosenfeld |first=Arno |date=2024-01-23 |title=How a new group is convincing Democrats to separate Israel criticism from antisemitism |url=https://forward.com/news/577169/nexus-definition-antisemitism-congress-israel/ |access-date=2024-03-17 |work=The Forward}}

In March 2024, reporting on the controversy caused by Jonathan Glazer's acceptance speech at the 96th Academy Awards, on receiving the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film for The Zone of Interest, the BBC interviewed Jacoby, in his capacity as Director of the Nexus Task Force, asking for his views on Glazer's speech and on the hostile response the speech had received from a number of individuals and organizations. The interview was broadcast on the BBC World Service.{{Cite episode |title=US urges global action to tackle Fentanyl crisis |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w172z37rvf2h7m5 |access-date=2024-03-22 |series=Weekend |network=BBC |date=2024-03-16 |minutes=36}}

Jacoby is frequently consulted by journalists writing about the relationship between criticism of Israel's actions and antisemitism.{{Cite news |last=Silow-Carroll |first=Andrew |date=2024-11-10 |title=We asked Jewish leaders about their priorities under a second Trump term |url=https://www.jta.org/2024/11/10/ideas/we-asked-jewish-leaders-about-their-priorities-under-a-second-trump-term |access-date=2024-12-26 |website=Jewish Telegraphic Agency |language=en-US}}{{Cite news |last=Wesiman |first=Jonathan |date=2024-11-19 |title=Democrats Face a Series of Tests Over Support for Israel |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/19/us/politics/israel-gaza-democrats.html |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20241205140138/https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/19/us/politics/israel-gaza-democrats.html |archive-date=2024-12-05 |access-date=2024-12-26 |work=The New York Times |language=en}}{{Cite news |last=Weisman |first=Jonathan |date=2023-12-10 |title=Is Anti-Zionism Always Antisemitic? A Fraught Question for the Moment. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/10/us/politics/anti-zionism-antisemitism.html |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20241211153041/https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/10/us/politics/anti-zionism-antisemitism.html |archive-date=2024-12-11 |access-date=2024-12-26 |work=The New York Times |language=en}}

Jacoby's involvement in 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). He was also Chief Operating Officer of CollabRx, Inc., a Silicon Valley start-up, which provided information and consulting services related to rare diseases (2008–2009).{{Cite news |last=Marcus |first=Amy Dockser |date=2008-07-29 |title=Putting Drug Development In Patients' Hands |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB121727953947391015 |url-access=subscription |access-date=2023-11-03 |work=The Wall Street Journal |language=en-US |issn=0099-9660}} Through these initiatives, he has helped facilitate collaboration and funding for research in the field.{{Cite journal |last1=Walkley |first1=Steven U. |last2=Davidson |first2=Cristin D. |last3=Jacoby |first3=Jonathan |last4=Marella |first4=Philip D. |last5=Ottinger |first5=Elizabeth A. |last6=Austin |first6=Christopher P. |last7=Porter |first7=Forbes D. |last8=Vite |first8=Charles H. |last9=Ory |first9=Daniel S. |date=2016-12-01 |title=Fostering collaborative research for rare genetic disease: the example of niemann-pick type C disease |journal=Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases |language=en |volume=11 |issue=1 |page=161 |doi=10.1186/s13023-016-0540-x |issn=1750-1172 |pmc=5131440 |pmid=27903269 |doi-access=free }}

• 2016: RARE Champions of Hope – Collaborations in Science and Technology Award from Global Genes{{Cite web |date=2016-07-19 |title=2016 RARE Champion Of Hope Honorees |url=https://globalgenes.org/blog/2016-rare-champion-of-hope-honorees/ |access-date=2023-11-03 |website=Global Genes}}
• 2018: Career Achievement Award from the Jewish Communal Professionals of Southern California
• 2023: Persevere Award from the National Niemann Pick Disease Foundation{{Cite web |title=Family Support & Medical Conferences – NNPDF |url=https://nnpdf.org/conference-additions/ |access-date=2023-11-03 |language=en-US}}

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Category:1953 births

Category:Living people

Category:Jewish American community activists

Category:American community activists

Category:American Jewish University alumni

Category:University of California, Los Angeles alumni

Category:Harvard Graduate School of Education alumni