Rabbi Jacqueline Brodsky was born in postwar Chicago to a Reform Jewish family. Her family was very pro-Zionist with grandparents not only involved in supporting the new Jewish state but even helping some immigrants to settle there.
Like many young women in her time, she went to college to become a teacher, majoring in English and French at the University of Illinois (B.A. 1967). After teaching in the inner-city schools of Chicago for 4 years, she traveled with her first husband to Europe for 7 months and then to Israel for 3 months. Shortly after returning to the U.S., they moved to Oregon where she connected with Rabbi Aryeh Hirschfield , a very inspiring teacher and songwriter who was instrumental in helping her awaken even more to her Jewish faith. By 1993 she had entered the rabbinic program of Aleph-Jewish Renewal (founded by Rabbi Zalman Shachter-Shalomi) and was ordained in 2000. She also achieved a Master’s degree in Jewish Studies at Spertus College (2001) and then later achieved certification as a chaplain in 2008 with the National Association of Jewish Chaplains (the first rabbi of Aleph to gain that honor and the first chaplain to be certified by the NAJC in Oregon).
In 1993 then student rabbi Jackie met Joanne Drapkin at an Aleph retreat and was asked to help fill in for Joanne’s husband Daniel’s rabbi at his bar mitzvah since the rabbi had become ill. That was the beginning of what is now a many-decade partnership with the South Coast Jewish Community (Mayim Shalom). Rabbi Jackie also concurrently worked at Temple Beth Israel in Redding for 5 years and occasionally for Temple Beth El of Eureka and has been a visiting rabbi at other communities on the West Coast including in Roseburg as well. Also concurrently she worked as a Hospice chaplain at Asante Rogue Valley Medical Center for 15 years (2002-2017).
Rabbi Jackie continues to carry forth her family’s love of Israel as well as Hebrew and remains passionate about it to this day. She has led 8 synagogue tours to Israel since 1991.
Rabbi Jackie has been married to Ross Albertson since 1991; she has one son, Cole (Jenny) and 2 grandchildren, Caylin (b.2009) and Eli (b.2012). She is also blessed with three stepchildren, Sandy, Paul and Erik and a step granddaughter, Alyssa, as well as a step great granddaughter, Isabella (b. 2020).
For life cycle ceremony requests or discussions on Israel, you can reach her at lachayyim@yahoo.com.