Mindy Jacobsen

Mindy Jacobsen (born Miami, Florida) is the first blind woman to be ordained as a hazzan (also called a cantor) in the history of Judaism; she was ordained in 1978 by Hebrew Union College.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nysenate.gov/newsroom/articles/jesse-hamilton/cantor-dr-mindy-jacobsen|title=Cantor Dr. Mindy Jacobsen|date=May 13, 2015|website=NY State Senate}}{{cite web |url=http://www.accantors.org/acc/node/636 |title=Overcoming the Odds: Cantor Mindy F. Jacobsen | American Conference of Cantors |publisher=American Conference of Cantors |date= |accessdate=2011-11-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120422000939/http://www.accantors.org/acc/node/636 |archive-date=2012-04-22 |url-status=dead }}{{cite web |url=http://www.matildaziegler.com/category/feature-writer-romeo/page/4/ |title=Matilda Ziegler Magazine for the Blind » Feature Writer – Romeo |publisher=Matildaziegler.com |date= |accessdate=2011-11-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120425143135/http://www.matildaziegler.com/category/feature-writer-romeo/page/4/ |archive-date=2012-04-25 |url-status=dead }}{{cite web|url=http://www.nycblink.com/article/accessible-technology-pioneer-spearheads-efforts-helping-blind-students |title=Brooklyn Ny - Accessible-Technology Pioneer Spearheads Efforts Helping Blind Students |publisher=Nycblink.com |date=2011-10-31 |accessdate=2011-11-06}} She has been blind since birth as a result of retinopathy of prematurity, and was one of the first group of blind children to attend public school in Miami; she was also the first blind member of her local SING OUT cast (a branch of Up with People), and later founded a cast in Tallahassee, Florida. She is the First Vice President of the National Federation of the Blind of New York.