Rabbi Yaakov Glasman AM

Rabbi Yaakov Glasman AM is a community leader, educator, and pastoral counsellor with over two decades of experience in Jewish communal life. Since 2011, he has served as the Senior Rabbi of St Kilda Hebrew Congregation, one of Melbourne’s largest synagogues, where he provides spiritual leadership, pastoral care, and educational programming for over 1,500-member families.

Rabbi Glasman was previously the Rabbi of the North Eastern Jewish Centre in Doncaster, where he led a vibrant and 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 for education also led him to lecture at the Merkos Jewish Learning Centre and teach Talmudic studies at the Yeshiva Kollel and became the first religious leader to be invited to speak at TEDx Melbourne.

Ordained in the United States and holding a Master’s in Hebrew Letters, Rabbi Glasman also pursued extensive academic and professional training in counselling, bereavement, mediation, and mental health. He earned a Master of Counselling from Monash University and holds certifications in conflict resolution, pre-marriage enrichment, and pastoral support — skills he draws on daily in his work with individuals and families.

Rabbi Glasman has held numerous communal leadership roles, including President of the Rabbinical Council of Victoria; President of the Rabbinical Association of Australasia and Councillor of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry. He has represented the Jewish community on interfaith and civic platforms, including as a representative to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, and as a White Ribbon Ambassador advocating against domestic violence.

Rabbi Glasman 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.

In recognition of his 20 years of dedicated service, Rabbi Glasman was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 2021 for ‘significant service to Judaism and interfaith dialogue, to rabbinical bodies, and to the community.’

He 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. He was painted by Kerrin Samuel for the Archibald Prize in 2025 in recognition of his work in interfaith relations.

Rabbi Glasman is married with children and is an avid Collingwood supporter.