Hillel Hosts Holocaust Survivor and UW Alumnus

Attorney Tom Jacobson discussed antisemitism, civil rights, and more

On Tuesday, November 11th, Hillel at UW-Madison hosted attorney Tom Jacobson in remembrance of the anniversary of Kristallnacht. Jacobson is a survivor of the Holocaust and the MS St. Louis– a ship that transported Jewish refugees to the western hemisphere and was denied entry in Cuba, the United States and Canada, forcing them to return to Europe. Jacobson had a successful career as a civil rights lawyer, notably representing the families of Jeffrey Dahmer’s victims.

Jacobson and his parents sought refuge in Holland until they were sponsored to immigrate to the United States by a family in Milwaukee– where his family began their American journey. His father went to night school to learn English and eventually became a salesman at JC Penny, and his mother began a children’s clothing business in Milwaukee. When Jacobson was 14 years old, his father had a stroke on the JC Penny sales floor on Black Friday and passed away, leaving him to work as a shoe salesman to help support his family and pay for his secondary education.

Jacobson received his bachelor’s degree at UW-Milwaukee and pursued his law degree at UW-Madison. “It wasn’t until I got to law school that I became aware of the civil rights struggle,” he said. “That was really an awakening for me.”

Jacobson fought for the rights of fellow students and minorities in the Madison area. During his time at UW Law School, he served as president of the civil rights club. Notably, he protested for the Equal Housing Opportunity Act in Wisconsin, by organizing protests in the state capitol rotunda until the bill made it out of the committee.

As evidence of the disparities in the housing market, Jacobson produced a film which documented students of color facing bigotry from the landlords while touring apartments around Madison. There was so much controversy surrounding the film that the University of Wisconsin archived the film, and it was released 60 years later.

After receiving his law degree, Jacobson went on to start one of the first integrated law firms in Milwaukee with a law school friend. He fought for the rights of minorities in Milwaukee and stood against redlining. Throughout his career, he fought and won cases in front of the United States Supreme Court.

Jacobson spoke about the protests on campuses across the United States regarding the war in Gaza and the antisemitism that followed. He was asked how to protect free expression while also confronting hate. He stated, “It’s complicated to know when and where to draw a line when it comes to these protests and the messages they send.”

He noted that some of these protests are hateful and say terrible things. Jacobson believes that “open dialogue is important and we need to respect other opinions and allow them to be heard.” In his advice to protesters, he said, “You need to protest without violence while respecting the rights of others.”

Jacobson discussed how surviving the Holocaust inspired his career, and empowered him to be the voice that prevented what happened to his family from happening to others. He urged attendees to stand up for the rights of others, vigilantly watch your own freedoms, and stand up for what you believe in. He also emphasized the importance of protecting free speech. “If you believe in democracy, you have to fight for the right of freedom of speech.”

Jacobson’s final remarks stated that “if you want your freedom, you can’t appease, you can’t bend a knee, and you got to stand up for what you believe in. Don’t tolerate bigotry, call it out.”

Attendees of this event received discounts and signed copies of his book Underdog: Against All Odds, the Fight for Justice, a biography of his life, career, and battle for equality.