David Jacobson

Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, December 2, 1909, Rabbi Jacobson was ordained at Hebrew Union College in 1934. He served West Central Liberal Congregation in London while he worked toward the Ph.D. degree he received at St. Catharine's College of Cambridge University in 1936. Until 1938, when he came to Temple Beth-El in San Antonio, he was assistant rabbi at Indianapolis Hebrew Congregation. He retired in 1976, after 38 years at Temple Beth-El, and then for six years, went to Abilene one weekend each month to serve Temple Mizpah. He was a Navy chaplain in World War II and the Jewish chaplain at Audie Murphy Veterans Hospital from its opening until he became ill. He enjoyed a warm relationship with the Conservative and Orthodox congregations.

Two years ago, he was given a special award, by the San Antonio Bar Association, together with Rev. Claude Black, as Pioneer Peacemakers. No title could fit him better. Over the past 60 years, he was a close friend of Archbishops Lucey, Furey, and Flores. With Archbishop Robert E. Lucey and Episcopal Bishop Everett H. Jones, he was instrumental in avoiding any racial discord in San Antonio in the 1960s, when sit-ins and demonstrations were occurring nationwide. He received the Martin Luther King Distinguished Achievement Award, as well as being named Citizen of the Year by the Sembradores de Amistad. He was the first non-Catholic member of the board of Our Lady of the Lake University, which in 1964 conferred the LL.D. The rotunda of the Sister Elizabeth Anne Sueltenfuss Library at OLLU is named for him.

Rabbi Jacobson had an impressive list of presidencies, local, state, and national. Among them were National Conference on Social Welfare first clergy ever elected president; United Way of Texas then called Texas Social Welfare Association; Goodwill Industries—on whose national board he also served; The Southwest Region of the Central Conference of American Rabbis; past-president of NAORRR, the National Association of Retired Reform Rabbis.

He served on numerous boards, national as well as state and local, including the Ecumenical Center for Religion and Health, which he founded with Bishop Everett Jones; CCAR board chairman of the Rabbinical Placement Commission for six years; Commission on Social Action of Reform Judaism; Prevent Blindness president; Texas State Ethical Commission, and several other state commissions; National Council on Crime and Delinquency; Southwest Texas Methodist Hospital; San Antonio Medical Foundation; San Antonio Area Foundation, of which he was the first president.

He was the author of Social Background of the Old Testament; various religious booklets; articles in professional and general publications; and in the Universal Jewish Encyclopedia.

Among his many honors were Silver Beaver Award, Boy Scouts of America; Lifetime Achievement Award, B'nai B'rith; Keystone Award, Boys' Clubs of America; Aristotle-Aquinas Award, Catholic College Foundation.

Rabbi Jacobson is survived by his loving and beloved wife Helen; daughters Liz Helenchild and Dottie J. Miller and her husband Dr. Sam S. Miller and grandchildren Ethan, Stephanie, and Seth.

The family wishes to thank Drs. Bradley B. Kayser, Robert N. Schnitzler,

Allen B. Gruber, and Dr. Sam S. Miller, for their excellent medical care and also his devoted caregivers Jennifer Shaut, Darlene Kerns, Sofia Pedraza, and Mary Boley.