Yaakov Pearlman

Yaakov Pearlman is an English-born rabbi who served as Chief Rabbi of Ireland from September 2001 to June 2008.

Early life and education Rabbi Pearlamn was born and educated in Manchester, England. His mother and grandparents were Irish.

He attended yeshiva at the Manchester Yeshiva. At 20 years old, he was the youngest member of his class to be ordained a rabbi. Following his ordination, Pearlman moved to Lakewood, New Jersey where he pursued religious studies as a Fellow at Beth Medrash Govoha. In addition to his religious studies, he earned a Master's degree in Jewish History from Hofstra University and a Doctorate in Education from the University of California, San Diego.

Career Following the completion of his secular studies, Pearlman served as a congregational rabbi in Providence, Rhode Island. In addition to serving as a congregational rabbi, he taught students at the Hillel Community Day School of Brighton, N.Y. and Talmudical Institute of Upstate New York. In 1984, Pearlman was appointed spiritual leader of the Beth Joseph Center of Rochester, NY. He served in the role of congregational rabbi until the closure of the synagogue, and subsequently found a role as the spiritual leader of Congregation Light of Israel (Ohr Yisrael). In 2004, ahead of the release of Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ'', Pearlman condemned the film arguing that it was antisemitic in its portrayal of Jews "as bloodthirsty, evil, barbaric and as having betrayed and informed on Jesus." Pearlman went so far as to call for Pope John Paul II to condemn the film to avoid "open[ing] up old wounds and influence or ignite the antisemitism which is growing across Europe today."

In 2008, Pearlman resigned from the role of Chief Rabbi to retire to the United States. Upon his departure, the Jewish community Ireland was left without a Chief Rabbi until the installation of Yoni Wieder in 2024.

Personal life Pearlman is married to American mathematics and education professor Sheila Pearlman.