Draft:Yaakov Asher Sinclair

Yaakov Asher Sinclair is a British-Israeli rabbi living in Jerusalem. Sinclair is an author, public speaker, and lecturer on Jewish religion. He is on the faculty of Ohr Somayach/Tannenbaum College, giving classes there on Talmud and philosophy.

He had a prior career in the entertainment industry, as an actor, photographer, music producer, and stage producer. Known as John Sinclair in the 1970s and 1980s, he, father David Sinclair, and his sister Jill Sinclair, were the directors of the SARM East music recording studio, which was founded with the financial backing of David Sinclair.

Personal life

Sinclair was born in London to David Sinclair, who became involved in the music business in the 1960s. He was educated at St. Anthony’s Preparatory School in Hampstead, Clifton College, and Bristol University.

He is married to fellow ba'al teshuva (returnee to Orthodox Judaism) form Buenos Aires. They have ten children. One of their children, Avi, is proprietor of an award-winning pizza restaurant.

Entertainment career

John Sinclair was part of the original Hair cast, but had to leave the production due to injury. He formed Druidcast Music, a publishing company, together with his friend, recording engineer Andy Leighton. They signed Sinclair's castmate from hair, Richard O'Brien, and later invited him into the company as a partner. The three formed a collective identoty, Andrew O'Bonzo, and added Rich Teaboy Productions as an additional company for music production. O'Brien and his wife released several songs through Rich Teaboy and Druidcast. During this period, O'Brien also wrote The Rocky Horror Show, with informal collaboration of Sinclair and Leighton. Music from the show was published by Druidcast.

At SARM, Sinclair was the producer or co-producer on many of he recordings, including Foreigner's entire debut album, Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody, and both of The Buggles' studio albums.

In 1970, one of SInclair's photographs appeared on the cover of the British Journal of Photography.

In the 1990s, he worked with Richmond Shepard to develop and stage a show, Lord Buckley's Finest Hour. It played at New York cabaret Don't Tell Mama.

Rabbinic career

In the 1970s, Sinclar read a Yiddish novel, The Shell, that prompted a slow spiritual awakening.

In 1987, Sinclair visited Israel, became enamored of Torah study, and decided to move to Jerusalem. He studied at Yeshiva Ohr Someach and the Mir Yeshiva, both in Jerusalem.

He became well-known in the Orthodox Jewish community as speaker, holding the plenary or keynote speaker positions at an Agudath Israel convention, and a Project Inspire event. He regularly lectures in Talmud and philosophy at the Ohr Sameach yeshiva's Tannenbaum College of Jewish Studies.

Sinclair is a photographer and author. His photography book, Seasons of the Moon, is a collector's item, and features his black and white photography, poetry, and essays about the Torah. He has another book on the bible, The Color of Heaven.