For the Rabbi’s a jolly good Fellow
Melbourne community leader Rabbi Yaakov Glasman has been awarded a prestigious Fellowship by Monash University.
Rabbi Yaakov Glasman
Rabbi Glasman has been Senior Rabbi at St Kilda Hebrew Congregation for nearly 15 years, has extensive experience in education and leadership roles with rabbinical councils, is very active in interfaith relations, and holds a Master of Counselling from Monash University.
The Monash University Council has awarded Fellowships (for Monash alumni) and Honorary Fellowships (for non-Monash alumni) for over ten years. The fellowships are given in recognition of distinguished service across arts, science, and industry. The university honours people who create unique benefits for the wider community, as well as those who make important contributions to Monash University. Monash University confers Monash Fellowships and Honorary Fellowships upon a small group of exceptionally distinguished individuals each year.
The award was presented to Rabbi Glasman for his leadership in interfaith dialogue, and his passion for pastoral care and mental health, which were key drivers of this recognition by Monash.
Rabbi Glasman told J-Wire, “When I was first notified that I was to be awarded a Fellowship of Monash University I was completely gobsmacked. Monash University is a remarkable place of higher learning and service, and to be recognised in such a high-profile way by an institution of this calibre is incredibly exciting. The recognition of pastoral care and mental-health support is especially meaningful, as these areas lie at the heart of so much of my work. As a Rabbi who is so publicly identifiable as a Jew, I hope this award reflects well not only on my beloved St Kilda Shule community but on our very special Jewish community as a whole.”
Rabbi Glasman is an active community leader, educator, and pastoral counsellor with over two decades of experience in Jewish communal life. He was previously the rabbi of the North Eastern Jewish Centre in Doncaster, where he led a growing congregation, and he continues to teach Jewish Law and Philosophy at Ohel Chana Seminary, contributing to the education of the next generation of Jewish women leaders. His passion and enthusiasm for education have led him to lecture at the Merkos Jewish Learning Centre and teach Talmudic studies at the Yeshiva Kollel, and to become the first religious leader invited to speak at TEDx Melbourne. This is in addition to his regular Shiurim at St Kilda Hebrew Congregation.
He was ordained in the United States and holds a Master’s in Hebrew Letters. Rabbi Glasman has also pursued extensive academic and professional training in counselling, bereavement, mediation, and mental health. In addition to his Master’s of Counselling, he holds certifications in conflict resolution, pre-marriage enrichment, and pastoral support.
Rabbi Glasman has been President of the Rabbinical Council of Victoria, President of the Rabbinical Association of Australasia and Councillor of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry. He frequently represents the Jewish community on interfaith and civic platforms, including as a White Ribbon Ambassador advocating against domestic violence.
He served as a member of the Human Research Ethics Committee at the Royal Children’s Hospital from 2022 to 2024 and currently serves on the Human Research Ethics Committee at Deakin University, a role he has had since February 2023. He has served as a Chaplain of the Victorian Council of Churches’ Emergencies Ministry since January 2022. As a passionate advocate of interfaith dialogue, Rabbi Glasman is a member of both the Glen Eira Council’s Multicultural Advisory Committee and the Port Phillip Multifaith Network.
Rabbi Glasman was also inducted into the Victorian Multicultural Commission Honour Roll and was a finalist for both the Premier’s Award for Community Harmony in 2023 and the Port Phillip Citizen of the Year award in 2024.
Nobody is perfect, and Rabbi Glasman is a passionate Collingwood supporter.
