Jacob Harris

New York, New York

Votes for Jacob Harris: 1046

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Tell us about your nominee. Why should he or she be recognized as a Jewish Community Hero?

Jacob is the Chief Operating Officer of JDub Records and responsible for directly impacting over 1.6 million Jewish young adults across the country. The 'silent hero' of JDub, Jacob has spent the past six years discovering and managing artists such as Matisyahu, Balkan Beat Box and comedian Michael Showalter, among many others. Jacob works tirelessly to fulfill JDub's mission of exposing diverse, authentic and relevant Jewish voices to mainstream culture and furthering cross-cultural dialogue. Still, his humility and dedication have kept him largely outside of the public eye. Using his vast network of contacts within the music industry, Jacob has been able to put contemporary Jewish music into spaces where assimilated young adults will actually find it on TV, radio, blogs, and in film, magazines, and secular music venues. Jacob¹s heroism has put Jewish music into the playlists and hearts of millions.

 

Jacob also lives the Jewish values that he brings to JDub. He grew up in Phoenix and attended and held various leadership roles at the Phoenix Hebrew Academy, USY, and Camp Ramah in California. He also worked for the Council for Jews With Special Needs as a teenager and went on to run various programs combating hunger and homelessness during college at Boston University, earning him the Community Service Award: a certificate of appreciation given to one college senior each year for dedication to community. He continues to volunteer his time and dollars and has since served on the Board of Directors for the Allston Brighton Food Pantry, a community center that provides restaurant style dinners and groceries at no cost to the hungry in a friendly atmosphere, and as an Insight Fellowship Supervisor, a program of The Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation.

He currently lives in Brooklyn, NY with his wife Randi and dog Olive.

What problem did your nominee identify in the community that needed to be solved? How has your nominee's efforts made a difference for others?

Jacob recognizes that many Jewish institutions created early in the 20th century are not relevant to a majority of young Jews today. At JDub, he leads a team of innovators to strategically work with these same organizations to change the conversation on Jewish identity throughout the US from survival to celebration, using one of the most attractive and powerful mediums to young people: music.

Jacob believes that the arts are both a valid method of self-expression and a means of bridging religious, ethnic, and cultural boundaries. By projecting a proud Jewish image through quality, innovative, Jewish music, JDub Records has brought Judaism into the cultural conversations of the greater global society. The artists Jacob works with appeal to a diverse audience, not determined by religious affiliation, educational background or socio-economic status, but by disparate cultures, religions, and ethnicities that have musical commonalities and a shared appreciation for value-filled arts and culture. The result is a powerful, inclusive, peer community and one of the most successful, innovative, non-profit organizations of the 21st century.

Jacob interfaces with all of the stakeholders that, together, have made JDub into a Jewish and cultural icon of innovation. His supportive relationships with all staff members, community professionals, board members, music venues and promoters, press contacts and music industry professionals, and most importantly, the artists and fans, are evidence of his unwavering commitment to collaboration, professional integrity, and positive change.