Yosef Yitzchak Jacobson was born to
Gershon Jacobson, a journalist, in
Crown Heights, Brooklyn. His family was
Chabad Hasidic. He began his studies in
Oholei Torah, later moving on to
Tomchei Temimim, a
yeshiva located in Chabad's World Headquarters (
"770"). In 1990, at the age of 17, Jacobson was recruited by his older brother
Simon to join the team that prepared the public addresses of
Menachem Mendel Schneerson for publication.
Orthodox Jews being prohibited from
using recording devices on Shabbat and
Jewish Holidays, they were charged with memorizing these 5 hour long talks and later transcribing them, in a role known as ''
or meiniach''. As a senior fellow, Jacobson taught
Talmud,
Kabbalah, and
Hasidic philosophy at Chabad Lubavitch Rabbinical Seminary Chovevei Torah. In 2005, Jacobson followed in the footsteps of his father, becoming editor-in-chief of the Yiddish weekly
Algemeiner Journal, which he contributed to for a number of years. He was a
mashpia (spiritual mentor) at the
Chovevei Torah Yeshiva in Crown Heights, and a teacher at the Ohr Chaim Learning Center in
Monsey, New York. == Talks ==