Jacob Pressman

Jacob Pressman
Born October 26, 1919
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Residence Beverly Hills, California
Education University of Pennsylvania
Jewish Theological Seminary of America
Occupation Rabbi, columnist
Religion Conservative Judaism
Spouse(s) Marjorie (Steinberg) Pressman
Children Daniel Pressman
Joel Pressman (deceased)
Judith Pressman
Parent(s) Solomon Pressman
Dora (Levin) Pressman

Jacob Pressman (a.k.a. Jack Pressman) (born 1919) is an American Conservative rabbi. He served as the rabbi of Temple Beth Am in Los Angeles, California from 1950 to 1985. He was a co-founder of the American Jewish University in Bel Air. He has written a weekly column in The Beverly Hills Courier since 2004.

Biography

Early life

Jacob Pressman was born on October 26, 1919 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.[1][2] His father was Solomon Pressman and his mother, Dora (Levin) Pressman.[1] Raised in the Jewish faith, he attended Temple Beth Am in Philadelphia.[2] He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1940, where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree.[1][2][3][4] He attended the Jewish Theological Seminary of America and was ordained as a conservative rabbi in 1945.[1][2][3]

Career

He served as rabbi at Forest Hills Jewish Center in Queens, New York City, from 1944 to 1946.[1][2][3] In 1946, he moved to Los Angeles, California, where he first served as associate rabbi at Sinai Temple until 1950.[1][2] At the time, the senior rabbi was Jacob Kohn (or Cohen).[1][2]

In 1950, he became rabbi of the Olympic Jewish Center.[1][2][5] It was renamed Temple Beth Am in 1957.[1][2] Pressman established Beth Am Manor, a low-rent residence for senior citizens as well as the Rabbi Jacob Pressman Academy, a combination of nursery, elementary and secondary schools connected to the synagogue.[1]

He spearheaded the 'Save Soviet Jewry' campaign in 1964, leading to greater awareness of the plight of the Jews in the Soviet Union.[2][4] This in turn led to more immigration of Soviet Jews to Israel.[2] Moreover, he joined Martin Luther King, Jr. in his protest march in Montgomery, Alabama in 1965.[3][4]

He served as President of the Western Region of the Rabbanical Assembly and Chairman of its convention in 1979.[1] Additionally, he served as President of the Board of Rabbis of Los Angeles.[1] He served on the Executive Council of the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles.[1] He was also Chair of the Los Angeles campaign for Israel Bonds.[1] Moreover, he was involved with the United Jewish Appeal.[1]

American Jewish University in Bel Air, co-founded by Rabbi Jacob Pressman.

He spearheaded the establishment of Camp Ramah in California, a summer camp in Ojai.[1][5][6] He also helped found the Brandeis-Bardin Camp Institute.[1][6] Moreover, he served as Chairman of the Los Angeles Zionist Youth Commission.[1] Moreover, he played a critical role in the founding of the Los Angeles Hebrew High School.[1][6] He was also a co-founder of the University of Judaism, later known as the American Jewish University (AJU), located in Bel Air.[1][5][6] He is a recipient of the 2004 Rabbi Simon Greenberg Award from AJU.[3]

He was the founding President of the Maple Counseling Centre, a non-profit organization which offers free counseling sessions, based in Beverly Hills, California.[1] He has written a weekly column in The Beverly Hills Courier since 2004.[5] He has written two books.[3]

Personal life

He is married to Marjorie (Steinberg) Pressman.[1][7] They reside in Beverly Hills, California.[7] One of their sons, Joel Pressman, who worked as a Performing Arts teacher at the Beverly Hills High School died in 2013.[8] Their second son, Daniel Pressman is a rabbi.[5] They also have a daughter, Judith Pressman.[5]

Bibliography

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 1.20 1.21 Pamela Susan Nadell, Conservative Judaism in America: A Biographical Dictionary and Sourcebook, ABC-CLIO, 1988, pp. 202-203
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9 2.10 Michael Berenbaum, Rabbi Jacob Pressman turns 94: A community treasure, The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles, October 23, 2013
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 American Jewish University: Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 University of Pennsylvania: Alumni Notes
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 Danielle Berrin, Rabbi Jacob Pressman takes a bow, The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles, December 3, 2008
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Larry B. Stammer, A Witness to Hate and Hope, The Los Angeles Times, October 23, 1999
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Danielle Berrin, Marjorie Pressman: ‘I created my own role’, The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles, September 11, 2008
  8. ↑ Joel Pressman, cantor and performing arts teacher, dies at 63, The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles, November 20, 2013