Crime & Safety

Memorial Campaign Launched for Amtrak Victim

The campaign in honor of Rachel Jacobs, which had already raised $15,000 by Monday afternoon, will fund a community-building charity.

James Boyle, Patch StaffVerified Patch Staff Badge

By BETH DALBEY

A CrowdRise memorial campaign has been launched by the family of Rachel Jacobs, 39, one of eight people killed in last week’s deadly Philadelphia Amtrak derailment.

The memorial campaign will raise money for Detroit Nation, the community-building charity she co-founded.

Find out what's happening in Tredyffrin-Easttownfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Jacobs lived in Manhattan with her husband, Todd Waldman, and 2-year-old son, Jacob. When the train crashed, she was on the return leg of her twice-a-week commute to Philadelphia to her job as CEO of an educational software startup, ApprenNet.

The CrowdRise campaign total stood at nearly $15,000, by mid-day Monday, as Jacobs was being remembered at a funeral. Burial was to follow. The family will sit shiva at their home through Wednesday night, with religious services each day at 7 p.m.

Find out what's happening in Tredyffrin-Easttownfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

“True Loss for the World”

Detroit Nation said on its Facebook page last week that legions of Detroit ex-pats she rallied “are devastated by the poss of our founder.”

“To the Detroit Nation family and to all who know her, Rachel embodied a passion for building communities and demonstrated that one person can always make an impact,” the post read. “We will miss her warmth, her vision and most of all her ability to connect and give purpose to those who shared in her goal of giving back to our hometown. We remain committed to honoring Rachel’s legacy and to building upon her incredible foundation.”

Longtime family friend David Techner told The Oakland Press the Jacobs’ death “is a true loss for the world.”

A defining passion was the city of Detroit’s rebirth, he said, but “she was active in all kinds of issues,” continuing a legacy of public service established by her parents, John and Gilda Jacobs. Gilda Jacobs’ political career spanned 1981-2010, from a spot on the Huntington Woods City Commission to the state Senate.

“That’s exactly what she patterned her life after,” Techner said of Jacobs’ commitment to public service. “She and her sister (Jessica) are exactly what you would want – great people. ... It was in her DNA to be active and involved.”

High Bar for Achievement

The comments on the CrowdRise page help tell the story of a kind, brilliant and compassionate woman who inspired others with her unflinching support for Detroit.

“In memory of Rachel, with the hope that word of her amazing efforts on behalf of Detroit will spark others to carry on her mission,” Cheryl Scott Dube and Paul Dube wrote.

“In tribute to Rachel Jacobs, who personified tikkun olam, and in sorrow and with hugs to John and Gilda, who raised an extraordinary daughter, and in solidarity with our native city of Detroit, which has benefited so greatly from Rachel’s efforts and will continue to rise due in no small part to her devotio,” wrote Howard and Carol Boigon.

“Rachel was an inspiration to me and my family for as long as I remember,” wrote Katy Zack. “We will miss the high bar she set for achievement in love, family, career and beyond.”

“In honor and memory of the incredible Rachel Jacobs, a true Mensch and inspiration to the Swarthmore and Detroit ex-pat communities,” wrote Trish (Mulvoy) Kipins. “May her memory be a blessing.”

Others recalled Jacobs during her days in college at Swarthmore College and, later, Columbia Business School.

Classmate Jill Rubin recalled “the time we spent in college digging the compost pile and rummaging through trash for recyclables. I remember her smile, her kindness, optimism and brilliance.”

Related stories:

Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

More from Tredyffrin-Easttown