Portrait of a leader – An ‘unapologetic Zionist’

THE STORY OF DR. IRA “IKE” JACOBSON

JEWISH LEADERS COME IN ALL SHAPES AND SIZES, but not all of them are heads of large national organizations, columnists with a large following, or important rabbis, professors, etc. An increasing number of them have an inborn love for the Jewish People and The State of Israel and they are not afraid to speak out or act on our behalf. They are “grassroots Jewish activists,” or, to use the term coined by Jonathan Tobin, Editor In Chief of JNS, “October 8th Jews.” One such leader is Dr. Ira “Ike” Jacobson, a retired podiatrist from Palm Beach, Florida.

Dr. Jacobson, originally from Long Island, New York, is the son of “Holocaust Era” parents. His father, originally from Kiev, emigrated to the United States in 1938 around the time of Kristallnacht, and his mother from Czechoslovakia. He comes from an observant home and fondly remembers “walking around in the pitch black darkness” in the family home on Friday evenings. The Holocaust was always in the background of everything he did in life.

But what was the defining moment when this young man of Jewish background became an activist? All of us “have a spark” that we can relate to. His happened when he was a resident at Coney Island Hospital in Brooklyn. A patient, an elderly Jewish woman, complained to him that she was being bullied, harassed by local thugs, and her apartment covered with antisemitic graffiti. He told his residency director who was Jewish, and together with several other Jewish men, went to  her building door to door and told people “not to mess” with her – “or else.” The harassment stopped immediately.

Aside from making frequent pro-Israel social media postings about the current situation of exploding antisemitism and Israel’s war for survival (which too far Jews even bother with), “Dr. Ike” is the Israeli Liaison for World Herut and is a Board Member for “Heroes For Israel.” In addition, he is a top candidate on the Herut North America slate for the World Zionist Congress.

I first became aware of Dr. Jacobson’s activities when I came  across an article in a local Palm Beach newspaper. I read that together with other local Jewish activists and non-Jewish friends, he spends much of his time advocating for a local Holocaust Museum in Palm Beach.

The events of Oct 7th and the ensuing war on seven fronts between Israel and the “Ring of Fire” created by Iran and its proxies in the region have led to an explosion in worldwide antisemitism and anti-Israel activities all over the world. Far from just a means of political expression, Dr. Jacobson calls it “pure racism.” These events led him to become active in SAR-EL (a volunteer, non-combat unit of the IDF open to Jews and people from around the world who want to assist the IDF in chores and activities on IDF bases that have gone undone because of the shortage of manpower due to the war), and VFI (Volunteers For Israel) programs.

DR. Jacobson and IDF soldiers at a SAR-EL base in Israel. By permission of Dr. Jacobson

Dr. Jacobson packing supplies for IDF soldiers on SAR-EL base Photo courtesy of Dr. Jacobson.

According to Dr. Jacobson, “I believe the war started by Hamas on October 7th, gave antisemites across the entire social and political spectrum an excuse to step out of the shadows and target the Jewish People at any opportunity.” The subsequent demonstrations worldwide have acted as catalysts for antisemitic rhetoric and thus pose direct threats to Jewish communities worldwide.

For a while, a sense of complacency towards the antisemitism existed amongst many Jews, especially in the United States. The recent presidential election may have played a role as many Jews became far more involved with domestic issues than Israel, and they became used to seeing the televised reports of battles in Gaza in Lebanon, making them “routine.” Then something happened on November 7th, 2024, right after the election which made alarms go off in the minds of some, especially Dr. Jacobson.

A soccer match in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, between Maccabi Tel Aviv and the local Ajax team was the spark for an outright pogrom on Jewish and Israeli fans of Maccabi Tel Aviv. Jewish fans leaving the stadium on the way to their hotel were accosted, beaten with clubs and chased (with even one Jewish man thrown into a canal), by hundreds of Muslim rioters, in what was believed to be a well-choreographed and planned pogrom. For a while, Dutch Police did nothing to intervene. They promised to investigate, yet nothing came of it. The perpetrators smugly got away with it.

Instead of outrage against this event there were pro-Hamas protests all over the world, especially in Madrid, Spain after a match between Maccabi Tel Aviv and Real Madrid. High profile sporting and artistic events involving Israeli teams and performers continue to spark ugly antisemitic attacks and marches all over the world. In Sydney, Australia you may recall, shortly in the aftermath of October 7th, there was a large pro-Hamas rally in front of the opera house which saw crowds chanting “gas the Jews.” On October 8th, 2023, a pro-Hamas rally in Midtown Manhattan occurred even before the IDF launched any significant retaliatory attacks. One protestor mockingly called the young victims of the Nova Music Festival massacre “hipsters.” The American and Israeli flags were burned. Shortly after, US and Canadian colleges experienced very well funded and organized pro-Hamas protests making just going to classes terrifying experiences for Jewish students.

The confluence of these events was too much for Dr. Jacobson just to stand by and do nothing. He is taking things a big step farther. In March, he plans to go to Amsterdam and is organizing a “Never Again” rally in front of the Anne Frank House. He calls himself an “Unapologetic Zionist” which to him means that he has “an enduring love for the Jewish right of self-determination in the land of our ancestors, and won’t ever apologize for it.” According to Dr. Jacobson, “I am not running and hiding. I have to do something about it.”

Dr. Jacobson also has another project which he is very passionate about. It is called “Boots For Israel.” A friend of Dr. Jacobson is Yakir Wachstock who was an occupational therapist in Brooklyn, NY before COVID. He ended up selling merchandise on AMAZON during the pandemic. One morning at 2 AM, he got a call from an IDF Lieutenant Colonel who asked him if he had any way to supply boots for various units in the IDF. One thing led to another and the project was started. It began in South Florida with 80 pairs of boots. So far, Dr. Jacobson and Yakir have sent 78,000 custom pairs of boots to the IDF, in all shapes and sizes for different units in the army, navy, and air force. Currently, the packing occurs in different synagogues in the Miami-Palm Beach areas. They have plans to greatly expand beyond Florida.

Dr. Ira Jacobson and Yakir Wachstock. Photo courtesy of Dr. Jacobson

Dr. Jacobson believes that it is incumbent upon each Jew with a social media connection to at least post “anything online that is pro-Israel” because we are sadly losing the media war. There is a saying that “There is no heart as big as that of a volunteer.” To Dr. Jacobson, a main inspiration for his work comes from the words of “Hatikvah.” He is quick to point out that not everyone has to be an organizer or a leader. If you would like to get a real satisfaction that you are doing something, AND get involved in the “Boots For Israel” program you can contact “Dr. Ike” by email at IBBW@herutna.org The packing of the boots is usually done at local synagogues, so what are you waiting for?

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Sources for this article include excerpts from “The SOUTH FLORIDA COMMUNITY VOICE,” Talya Ruch. Photo credits are with permission of Dr. Ira Jacobson solely for TIMES OF ISRAEL