Our Rabbi Marci Jacobs - Chevrei Tzedek Congregation

Rabbi Marci Jacobs

Rabbi Jacobs, a Baltimore native, is a graduate of the Jewish Theological Seminary, where she received her M.A. in Talmud and Rabbinics. Since her ordination, Rabbi Jacobs has served communities in Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, and Maryland. After returning home to put down roots closer to her family, she taught at the Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School in Rockville and is currently the Middle School Jewish Life Chair at Krieger Schechter Day School. Rabbi Jacobs is passionate about helping people find meaningful connections with one another, develop their skills and abilities, and find their own unique way to engage with the Jewish community.

Throughout Rabbi Jacobs' career, she has been known as an insightful teacher and relationship builder. She is excited to be part of the dynamic Chevrei Tzedek community and to help build upon its strengths as a vibrant and inclusive Jewish community. “We are thrilled to have Rabbi Jacobs at Chevrei Tzedek,” said Amit Golding, former Chair of Chevrei Tzedek Congregation. “She is a talented and experienced rabbi who is passionate about our mission. She is a wonderful spiritual leader for our congregation.”

Weekly Message from Rabbi Jacobs

Aḥarei Mot/Kedoshim 5786, April 25, 2026

27 Apr, 26 |

I’ve spoken here before about my 8th grade Jewish History class, where we study the history of the Holocaust. About ⅔ of the way through the year, our focus shifts to the history of the State of Israel, including contemporary events. So…. less complicated topic, right? In class the other day, as we were parsing out the different events and circumstances that led to the intractability of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, one of my students shyly raised her hand. “This may be a dumb question,” she said, “but why don’t the two sides get together and just agree to end it?…

Yizkor for Pesah 5786 – The Paradox and the Miracle

10 Apr, 26 |

This holiday of Pesah, as we know, is all about evoking memory and constructing identity – especially when we consider the rituals of the seder. On those first nights of the holiday, we recount the Exodus from Egypt, adding our own questions and interpretations to the chain of tradition that stretches thousands of years behind us. We endeavor to see ourselves as though we personally left Egypt, forming a deep-seated sense of connection to our biblical ancestors and understanding who we are in relation to them. But the seder, and in fact the entire experience of Pesah, evoke another sort…

Parshat B’Shallaḥ – January 28, 2026

29 Jan, 26 |

There is so much to say this week. First, I must begin with solemn gratitude: ברוך אתה ה׳ אלקינו מלך העולם דיין האמת. Praised are you, God, who is the true judge. We were relieved this week to see Ran Gvili returned to his family, so that he can be properly buried and mourned. He was the last hostage of the 251 captured on October 7 to remain held in captivity. For more than 50 days, he was the only hostage still held, with Hamas insisting that it was unable to locate him, leaving his family and nation worried that…

Parshat VaEra – January 14, 2026

15 Jan, 26 |

Our parashah this week, Parashat VaEra, lands us smack in the middle of the story of the Exodus. And it begins with a failure. Of communication. Maybe of leadership. God makes a bold declaration to Moshe, restating God’s long-standing covenantal relationship with b’nei yisrael and God’s commitment to freeing the Israelites from their enslavement. God tells Moshe to relay these words to the people, which he does. And the people just couldn’t hear it. Their spirits had been crushed by the cruelty of their situation. They couldn’t imagine a relationship with God, much less a God who would save them…

Parshat VaYehi and Interfaith Shabbaton – January 9, 2026

1 Jan, 26 |

This Shabbat, we conclude the book of Bereishit in our yearly Torah reading cycle. Bereishit is essentially our origin story as a people. Beginning with the creation of the world and the early days of humankind, we quickly zoom in to focus on the story of one family, the family that would become the kernel of the Jewish people. Reaching the book’s conclusion gives us the opportunity to look back on what has been and look ahead to how our journey will continue in the next book of our Torah. This Shabbat is also the first of the new secular…

Chanukah 5786

19 Dec, 25 |

Happy Chanukah! חנוכה שמח! I have some thoughts to share about this holiday of light, but first I want to clarify something from the weekly email – I will be away this Shabbat so there will be no formal Torah study. Services will begin at 10 AM, as usual. We often describe Chanukah (as I just did) as the festival of lights, חג אורים in Hebrew. It is also, of course, a holiday of miracles. When we talk about Chanukah, that’s where we place our focus. There’s the miracle of the military victory of the Maccabees against the Syrian Greeks,…