 Jacobson was born in Decatur, Georgia, and is Jewish.She is a daughter of David Jacobson, an endocrinologist who was a member of the 1974 U.S. National fencing team in saber and also a former Yale fencer, and Tina Jacobson, who has also fenced competitively.She is the younger sister of fellow U.S. Olympic team fencer Sada Jacobson, born in February 1983.