Growing up Jewish in the South can be challenging, leaving some young people conflicted about their identity. Others lean further into their Jewishness, pursuing deeper meaning and greater connection.
Such was the case with Sam Jacobson who grew up attending West End Synagogue with his family and graduating from Beit Miriam religious school. The product of an interfaith family, Jacobson officially converted to Judaism in the first grade. He participated in a Get Connected trip to Israel in high school and spent more time there during a gap year. He made Aliyah and enlisted in the IDF as a lone soldier, where he served in the elite Golani unit. After his service, while in the reserves, he earned his bachelor’s degree in business and now how a defense sector job in the robotics industry.
The Observer recently caught up with Sam after his latest reserve posting to learn more about his experiences and to share his reflections about life in Israel today.
Observer: You were so young when you converted. What do you remember about the conversion process?
Sam: The memory is as crisp as the water itself. It was at Sherith Israel, and I went in by myself. I remember it perfectly.
Observer: What about Judaism touched you so deeply that you have now gone on this unique journey?
Sam: I think it’s the community. Growing up in Nashville you really feel like you’re a minority, that you’re different. I was searching for that unity for a long while. I always say if I had grown up somewhere with a bigger, stronger Jewish community, I don’t think I would have made that trip to Israel and done this whole process.
In Nashville you feel like you stand out. Finally, when I came here it was like a community. I always say it’s like the “new Jew” who doesn’t back down and we’re going to live life and we’re not going to apologize for the way we live it. And I think being here I really identified with that. A sense of community and belonging. I really found that here.
Observer: Let’s back up a little. You went to MBA. Were there very many Jewish students there at that time?
Sam: I my grade I think I was one of three or four Jews. We had this thing called JAG, which is Jewish Advisory Group. We had all told about 10 or 12 participants and we’d get together and have bagels once a week. That was the most robust Jewish scene at school. At MBA you definitely felt like you were a minority.
Observer: After high school and your gap year with Young Judea, what made you want to go back and live in Israel?
Sam: It was definitely a thought in my mind that I wanted to do the army. But I thought I had time, I really wanted to try school. I’m a big believer in “don’t knock it ‘til you’ve tried it.” So I went back and I wasn’t finding myself and my purpose at Rutgers, which is where I did my one year of schooling in the States.
And then it was something I just really felt I had to do, being in the army or giving myself a shot to live in Israel. I had to do it in order to continue on with my life. So at this point I enlisted in Garin Tzabar [lone soldier program]. Throughout the year we did seminars, meeting people who could potentially come with us to Israel on the kibbutz. From there it took off and became a reality.
The Garin Tzabar program prepares people to become soldiers and includes a year to a year and a half living on a kibbutz, learning Hebrew, and training. Following completion of the program, recruits are assigned to a unit.
Observer: You were assigned to the Golani brigade which is very intense. After growing up in Nashville and then finding yourself in this world that is so different. What was that like?
Sam: It was extremely different. I wanted the most Israeli experience I could get. It’s called unit number one, Golani. And I thought that’s what I want to do. It took a week to get adjusted, but for such a crazy change, that’s a short amount of time.
I thought I’m going to do my best with Hebrew. I’m going to work as hard as I can. I’m going to push my teammates, they’re going to push me, and we’ll have fun doing it. But it was tough. The kids are very different.
After serving for two and a half years, Sam transitioned back to being a student. He completed one year of college before October 7th.
Sam: The world turned on its head, so those two years I was jumping back and forth between the war front and school. It was really, really challenging. Sometimes I was in reserves, studying for tests and exams and trying to do the best I could.
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Observer: What is it like being so far from your family? Is it a challenge?
Sam: To be honest, when I was in the army, I didn’t pay attention to it. I still missed them obviously, but you have no time for your mind to wander or travel. You’re trying to lock in. But when I got out of the army, I started to miss them a lot more.
Observer: You mentioned maybe coming back here. Do you plan to return to the US permanently or stay in Israel?
Sam: That’s one of the big questions. I’m still figuring it out. I talked with my dad and he basically said, ‘You’ve got yourself a great community, you have some great friends, a girlfriend, you have a job. You’d be a fool to give all that up.’
Part of me things that as you get older you have less and less options on the table, so I want to keep that option alive. But reality points here, so we’ll see.
Observer: Any final messages you want to share?
Sam: I think everyone’s got to keep being themselves. But when in doubt, come to Israel.
