Alumni Profile: Adam Jacobs

Despite having graduated 23 years ago, Adam Jacobs still looks back on his time at JTS very fondly. During his time in the Joint Program, Adam majored in Political Science at Columbia with a specific focus in International Politics, and Talmud/Rabbinics at JTS. He possessed a deep love of analysis and problem solving and thought the Joint Program would be a great place for him to satisfy both of his passions. As a student, he was fascinated with looking at problems, figuring out their solutions, analyzing the problems with that solution, and researching how it helps others. He did not come from the classic day school background many students in JTS now come from or had ever experienced a Judaic education in the way the material is introduced at JTS. He came in with a new and excited thirst for a Jewish education.

After graduating from the Joint Program, Adam went on to pursue a master’s degree in Peace Education and Conflict Resolution from Columbia Teachers College. He wanted to understand how systems play a role in setting up issues such as racism or white supremacy. Similarly, he was interested in understanding the interplay between antisemitism, Islamophobia, racism, and how they all intersect.

These curiosities carry over into the work Adam is doing today, splitting a majority of his time between two organizations: Tabii Just Strategies (TJS) and the National School Climate Center (NSCC). TJS was founded five years ago by Adam’s wife, Tabitha, to develop and promote anti-racist parenting practices. They work with different schools, libraries, synagogues, and churches on improving strategies of teaching equity to children. This work is seen through training sessions and workshops to promote deeper, long-term work in creating a more equitable space.

When he is not doing work for TJS, Adam is putting his effort into his role as Co-Executive Director of the NSCC. The mission of the center is to support schools and districts in building safer, more equitable learning environments for all students. They strive to uncover how every student, staff, and family member feels about the community the student is learning in. This includes students with disabilities, LGBTQ+ students, and those from other historically marginalized groups. Adam and the other staff of the NSCC prioritized making sure that everyone is treated with humanity and that everyone’s lives are valued.

He shared that especially recently, since October 7th, there has been a lot of thought about the perpetuation of violence. This includes violence against Jews, as well as rhetoric within the Jewish community against those calling for a ceasefire. He believes the response to violence does not need to be an either/or, but now is the time to actively work to end cycles of harm and to dream of a future that is safe for all. Once physical violence ends, then it prompts the question of how those systems of violence can be removed permanently. This applies to the situation in Israel/Palestine as well as close to home. He elaborated, and explained how, especially in the city, there are so many systems of inequality, violence, and racism that are based on years of history. Adam is trying really hard to understand, both personally and with his professional pursuits, how both secular and Jewish communities can put a stop to these systems and change history.

When I asked Adam why this type of work is important to him, his answer was inspiring. He shared with me how, in peace education, there is a concept called transformative optimism. Essentially, it means that one can’t just be optimistic about the world they want to see, but they also must have an active role in creating that world and making it a better place. They must identify what must be changed and constantly work to maintain those changes. Adam said that every organization or initiative he is involved with focuses on facilitating those same goals.

A big part of Adam’s work, across all organizations he is involved with, is working with people from different backgrounds and experiences, and he said this interest really began for him in the Joint Program. Being a student in List College forced him to approach analytic understanding from a different perspective and encouraged him to be involved in a variety of communities with all different types of people. Being a student in the heart of Harlem, he really felt that both institutions must be responsible members of society, rather than being disconnected. Thinking back on his experience, Adam said he is incredibly grateful to have been studying alongside students who had the same passion for learning that he did, and to have been part of a small and intimate community that allowed him to build such strong relationships.         

If he could give any advice to List College students today, he would emphasize the value in both having fun and questions, and to enjoy the time there as much as possible because it really flies by.