Ronelle Grier
Contributing Writer
Rachel Jacobs' family recalls her devotion to
social justice, her loved ones and to Detroit.
• Michigan pride: Rachel Jacobs with son, Jacob, and husband, Todd Waldman.
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May 28 • 2015
JN
Obituaries
achel Jacobs, 39, was known for her kind and car-
ing heart, her exceptional business acumen, and
the profound impact she made on the many lives
she touched with her friendship, compassion and boundless
energy.
A devoted wife, mother, daughter and friend; a passionate
social justice advocate and ardent supporter of her home-
town, Detroit; and a talented corporate executive with an
impressive career history, she had a gift for forming lasting
relationships that were the foundation of all her endeavors.
"Most important were the connections she made on a
personal level:' said her mother, Gilda Jacobs, a former
Michigan senator. "She connected with the world:'
Rachel, who lived in New York with her husband, Todd
Waldman, and their 2-year-old son, Jacob, was killed when
a New York-bound Amtrak train derailed in Philadelphia on
Tuesday evening, May 12. Rachel was commuting between
her home and her new job as CEO of Philadelphia-based
tech startup ApprenNet LLC, a company that provides
training and educational programs through Internet/video-
enabled, apprentice-style learning.
In her too-short life, Rachel touched hundreds of people
across the globe: friends, family members, colleagues, for-
mer classmates and supporters of Detroit Nation, an organi-
zation Rachel co-founded to enable native Detroiters living
elsewhere to contribute to their hometown's economic and
cultural development.
Rachel's Detroit roots began in Huntington Woods, where
her parents, John and Gilda Jacobs, raised Rachel and her
sister, Jessica, with a strong sense of community ties, Jewish
values and social justice.
"Every Chanukah, the family would choose a charity
to donate money to instead of buying gifts:' said John, an
attorney. This practice impressed Todd when he first met
Rachel and learned about her family.
As a student at Berkley High School, Rachel was involved
in student council and theater; she also served as class
ombudsman and volunteered at a local Planned Parenthood
office. She was president of the youth group at the fam-
ily's synagogue, Temple Emanu-El in Oak Park, and served
as the vice-president of social action for NFTY (North
American Federation of Temple Youth) on a statewide level.
"She was always supporting something; she never said
no:' Todd said. "I remember seeing an old photo of her
wearing a jean jacket covered with buttons for various
causes:'
She spent several summers at Tamarack Camp, as a
camper and later as a staff member, leading off-site camping
trips.
"Her commitment to and her joy in Judaism are largely
due to her time at Tamarack:' John Jacobs said.
Her participation in Tamarack's Western and Alaskan
trips led to a lasting love of travel and outdoor adventure.
Her younger sister, Jessica (Jessie), a favorite travel compan-
ion, shared happy memories of trips when she and Rachel
toured Italy, hiked through Banff in the Canadian Rockies
and experienced the thrill of an African safari. Jessie, who
lives in Staten Island with her husband, Joshua, and son,
Lyle, shared a close relationship with her sister.
Rachel received her undergraduate degree from
Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania. After a stint at an
urban planning firm and some time on Capitol Hill working
for U.S. Rep. Lynn Rivers, a Detroit native, Rachel attended
1 ' Columbia University in New York, where she earned a mas-
ter's degree in business administration.
Life was never a spectator sport for Rachel, and her zest
F., for experiencing the world around her was reflected in her
travels. While studying in Nepal during her junior year of