Cantor Kalix Jacobson named Temple David’s next spiritual leader

Cantor Kalix Jacobson is getting ready to sing a new song.

Jacobson, who has served at Temple Emanuel of South Hills since 2023, will assume the role of spiritual leader of Temple David in Monroeville in July, 2026.

The appointment marks a first for both the Reform congregation — which has never had a cantor serve as its spiritual leader — and for Jacobson, who has not previously held a senior spiritual leadership role.

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Jacobson, who uses the pronoun they, said that being raised in a family where every woman was a CEO instilled a strong expectation of leadership. In addition to being an ordained cantor, Jacobson has two business degrees — a bachelor’s in business administration and a master’s in Jewish nonprofit management.

“I always dreamt about having my own congregation,” Jacobson said. “I’m a serial entrepreneur. And while being the Kol Bo of a congregation is not the same as being a CEO, there is some overlap.”

The new role at Temple David is one that intrigued the cantor since learning of its availability. In fact, “I only looked at Temple David,” Jacobson said.

Part of that interest is because of the congregation’s history. Not counting interim rabbis, Temple David’s spiritual leaders all have served a decade or more.

“They’re not looking to hire someone for a short amount of time, which I deeply appreciate,” Jacobson said.

The culture and leadership of the congregation is also something that interests Jacobson, who said it differs from Temple Emanuel, which is primarily staff-led.

“It’s volunteer-led, but essentially they’re all full time, which I think is amazing,” the cantor said. “That’s something I really wanted.”

Jacobson said the Monroeville congregation’s sense of volunteerism is akin to a congregation the cantor’s family founded in the 19th century in Little Rock, Arkansas.

“I spend a lot of time at that congregation when I’m not on the bimah in Pittsburgh,” Jacobson said. “You see the congregants pouring in with their hand-baked challah and cookies and vegetable trays. That’s the environment I was looking for.”

Jacobson, however, was attracted to Temple David by more than a culture of volunteerism and a sense of nostalgia. The 175-unit member congregation, they said, is looking to build on its history.

“Temple David is looking for innovation,” Jacobson said. “They’re looking to try something different. They are a fabulous congregation, and they have told me they are looking to start expanding and doing new things. I’m full of ideas and they seem to only encourage them. It’s very exciting.”

Jacobson believes Temple David is primed to begin attracting unaffiliated members of the community, including those from city neighborhoods like Squirrel Hill willing to make the short commute.

The cantor presents an alternative to much of the senior Jewish clergy in the city, who are primarily male. Jacobson was the first cantor at Temple Emanuel in 50 years and was the first non-binary cantor to serve any congregation in Pittsburgh. Their role at Temple David will be another first.

“There’s never been a non-binary cantor that’s also been a [senior] spiritual leader. That’s a big deal,” Jacobson said.

Erika Schmitt served on Temple David’s search committee. She said the process of searching for a permanent spiritual leader began in 2023, after the congregation’s previous rabbi, Barbara Symons, announced she would be leaving.

“We struggled to find the right match in the first and second year of searching,” Schmitt said.

While the congregation endeavored to find a permanent spiritual leader, Rabbi Robert Jacobs served as interim rabbi.

Temple David first sought a rabbi, but changed its bylaws to allow a cantor serve as its spiritual leader after consulting with both the Central Conference of American Rabbis — the principal organization of Reform rabbis in the United States and Canada — and the American Conference of Cantors — the professional organization that supports cantors in the Reform movement, explained Jay Goodman, Temple David’s president.

Goodman said the role of cantors is different than what it was 25 or 30 years ago, and there is a large overlap in what they learn compared to rabbis.

The congregation became comfortable with the idea of a cantor serving as its spiritual leader when its members realized a cantor would be able to perform pastoral care and other “traditional” rabbinic services, Schmitt said.

After the congregation got comfortable with the idea of a cantor serving as spiritual leader, the next discussion was about identity, something Schmitt said isn’t much of an issue.

“While there are a few members that addressed Kalix being non-binary, most people addressed Kalix’s energy and their ability to take us into the future and their ability to connect with adults and children,” she said.

The fact that Jacobson is local allowed Temple David’s members to spend time with the cantor, explained search committee member Mark White. He said that in addition to their voice, the cantor’s personality was a winning factor.

“They are very pleasant and very warm,” he said.

Jacobson plans to spend their first year at Temple David meeting with all its members, learning about the congregation and what their hopes and goals are for the future.

“I’m going to use some of my business skills and have pastoral conversations and ensure we have the data we need to run the congregation efficiently,” Jacobson said. “I also want to bring us into the post-pandemic era.”

That means looking at things like online services, which are only available on Zoom. Jacobson would like to see that updated to include platforms like YouTube and Facebook.

Goodman said the future will hold a combination of new ideas and traditional elements — like a continuation of Friday and Saturday Shabbat services, the congregation’s choir and a once-a-month service with volunteer song leaders, as well as High Holiday services and the congregation’s religious school, which Jacobson will now lead.

Jacobson will continue to live in the South Hills with their partner, Mickey Benson, who works as a member of the AgeWell team at the South Hills JCC. The two plan to marry in 2027.

Though excited about the future, Jacobson expressed deep appreciation for time spent at Temple Emanuel.

“It was a hard decision and not something I made lightly,” Jacobson said. “I have a really deep love for the Temple Emanuel community and all it’s done for me for the last 2 ½ years. I’ve made a family there. Even though I’m leaving, people have been nothing but the nicest. It confirms I made the right choice coming to Temple Emanuel in the first place.”

The future, though, is calling, and it’s one Jacobson hopes will provide prolonged stability and growth.

“I’m really hopeful that I’m at Temple David for a long time,” they said. PJC

David Rullo can be reached at drullo@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.