Irwin and Joan Jacobs firstly visited Moldova in July 2002. Their journey was of great importance to the local Jewish Community. They acknowledged that they left feeling not only that "good work was being done," but also that the community was serious about its goal of becoming independent and self-supporting in the future.

Next time Dr. Jacobs and his wife Joan came in September 2005 to open Campus named after their name as its major supporters - Kishinev Jacobs Jewish Campus.