Melissa Jacobs landed her first Jewish Exponent byline in 2000 – and her family kvelled. Born in Philadelphia and raised in South Jersey, Jacobs is the editor of the South Jersey special section and senior editor of Inside magazine. Her work explores Jewish rituals and holidays, lifecycle events, Holocaust education, parenting issues and teens.

A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, Jacobs is the author of two novels, both published by HarperCollins.