May 1, 2015

Errol Jacobson

Errol Jacobson was born in 1950 in Johannesburg, South Africa, the youngest of three brothers. His family had roots in Lithuania, with relatives immigrating to South Africa around 1915, drawn by the gold rush and diamond diggings where his mother grew up before being sent to boarding school in Johannesburg. His father ran a large wholesale hardware and tool import business, and his mother did not work outside the home. Errol recalled a carefree childhood of soccer, rugby, tennis, hiking, and swimming in a mild climate, along with memories of his religious maternal grandfather who lived with the family and took the children to synagogue. He attended King David High School, served a compulsory year in the military at defense headquarters in Pretoria, and trained as an accountant with a CPA firm while earning a degree.

Errol met his wife at a friend's house when she was fifteen and he was eighteen, and they married in 1972. After working with his brother's marketing company for tools and hardware, the couple decided by 1976 that they wanted greater opportunity for their children and traveled to Israel and America to explore their options. They chose to immigrate, moving first to Denver, where Errol worked as a controller for a vacuum cleaner distribution company. The early years were financially difficult on a modest salary and a work permit, and the family had to learn the American credit system. His wife faced a bigger adjustment, but the Jewish community and newcomers organizations warmly embraced the family. In 1982 they moved to Dallas to join his older brother.

In Dallas, Errol briefly went into business with his brother before launching his own venture selling IBM computer software by mail order to major corporations such as EDS and TI, a business that grew into retail and wholesale operations and connected him to the broader technology industry. He and his wife raised three children, the youngest born in America, all of whom attended Jewish day school and college. The family have been longtime members of Shearith Israel, and Errol reflected on the tremendous growth of Dallas Jewish life over three decades. He counts the births of his children among his happiest moments, and hopes his children and grandchildren will work hard, build good families, and be good people.

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