Jake Zubkoff (C ’26) is an adamant believer in using dialogue to build connections and community—so if you see him, don't be afraid to say hello. Throughout our conversation, the way he talked about his love for the communities he's a part of showcased his passion for human interaction across mediums. From the humble list of musical instruments he practices—piano, trumpet, drums, organ, guitar, harmonica, melodica, and a few others—to his unique experience campaigning before the 2024 election, Jake's love for music and politics has helped him find a home for himself at Penn.
Name: Jake Zubkoff
Hometown: San Diego, Calif.
Field of Study: History, concentration in political history
Activities: Songwriters Collective, The Mask and Wig Club, Friars Senior Honor Society, Penn Shabbatones
Can you tell me about how you joined the Penn Shabbatones club?
I really didn't sing that much before college, and I definitely didn't beat box, but during NSO, I was playing piano somewhere in Penn Hillel, and this senior with bright red hair jumps on me, grabs my shoulder, and says, “Have you ever heard of the Penn Shabbatones?” And I think, “Who is this crazy person?” She convinced me to audition for Penn Shabbatones, and it was one of the best decisions I ever made. We're an a cappella group that performs in Jewish institutions and across Philly—we do concerts every semester. It's a really cool group of Jewish students from all kinds of Jewish backgrounds at Penn.
How has being a part of the Jewish community shaped your perspective or sense of belonging at Penn?
I think, unlike a lot of Jews at Penn, I came into the school not having grown up in a big Jewish community. I went to a high school of about 3,000 kids, and I was one of just a handful of Jewish people. So coming here was really exciting because every other person I met was Jewish. Coming into a place where there was already such a large, established Jewish community gave me a lot of ways to explore my own culture and identity, to learn things from other people who grew up in very different Jewish backgrounds than I did. It was a really wonderful experience. It's also been, at times, very fraught. In the Jewish community, there's a huge diversity of viewpoints, religious backgrounds, and cultural backgrounds. In a lot of ways, I've gotten to go on a journey and explore different aspects of my identity while figuring out where I most belong. I've met so many amazing people, and it's opened the door for a lot of really amazing opportunities.
If you could go back to freshman year, what would you tell yourself?
I would tell myself so many things. One, 1920 Commons breakfast is not as good as everyone says it is. But I think that I'm someone happy with all the main commitments I've had at Penn, particularly Mask and Wig, which is the one I devote the most time and energy to. Other people pushed me to audition because I was hesitant at first. I really admire a lot of my friends who seek out these opportunities and take advantage of them. I think I was just lucky enough that a lot of them ended up kind of coming my way, and for whatever reason, I decided to try them out. But there are so many amazing programs and groups on campus that I wish I'd taken more initiative earlier in my Penn experience.
How's your experience as the band leader for Mask and Wig been?
It's maybe the thing I'm most proud of that I've done at Penn. It's such an incredible, talented, lovely group of people, most of whom are much more talented musically than I am. I come from a blues and rock background. There are people in the band who come from a jazz background, a classical background, a funk background—this meshing of styles means that we're all always learning from each other. They come in, they put in effort, they want to be there. So most of what I do as band leader is just kind of coordinating with other sections and getting us gigs. Shameless plug—book the Mask and Wig band for your events. It just functions smoothly, which I don't think has always been the case, but I just got lucky with an amazing year. It's been such a privilege to get to do this.
You've specifically played jazz piano. How did you find jazz, and what does it mean to you?
It's funny. So I would not say I play jazz piano. I would say I play blues, and maybe it’s really pretentious to make the difference. I've always loved piano, and I think part of that was that I got to play the music that I liked to listen to. I never had a really strict teacher who said, “You have to learn this.” I discovered blues in about seventh grade, when our middle school band teacher, all of a sudden, dropped off the face of the earth. The substitute they found was this 26–year–old who was really into jazz, blues, and reggae. He taught us how to improvise and how to solo. I can't read sheet music, but learning those skills of improvising has given me the opportunity to play music in so many different spaces. My mental health is so much better when there's a piano in my vicinity. Blues, for me, is the music that's always allowed me to express myself the most. I think for everyone that's something different—but for me, it's the blues.
You've worked on Kamala Harris’ campaign during your time at Penn. What drew you to that? And how was that experience?
I was the kind of political nerd who was dragging my mom to phone bank for Hillary Clinton when I was 11 years old. From a young age, this was something that excited me, that I felt passionate about. So I knew, given that 2024 was a presidential year, I wanted to have the opportunity to work on a presidential campaign. Philly being Philly and Pennsylvania being Pennsylvania, what better place is there to do that? I had the opportunity to start interning for the Biden campaign, which was a really incredible experience. I think this campaign was so historic for so many reasons—I mean, I went home to San Diego for a few weeks in the summer, and by the time I came back, it had become the Harris campaign. Getting to see that from an internal perspective was really interesting. Everyone copes with the mess that is this world in different ways. I think even when I was doing very menial tasks, it felt like I had found a purpose.
It was also cool to see the intersection between the Penn community and the campaign in my capacity—I was working in the state headquarters, so it had to do more with Pennsylvania as a whole. At times, people were looking to connect with students, or looking for students from certain identity groups to put on events. Seeing how many Penn students and faculty were excited to get involved in politics was really interesting as well. I remember that the night before Election Day, there was a big rally right down the street at the PMA, and I was helping. I was on crowd control, and for every 100 people I was trying to situate behind her, there'd be some Sammy brother or some kid I recognized from a class. It was cool to see my friends and peers get involved in politics. There was a lot of excitement then, and it was a great experience—until Nov. 5, when it was not a great experience. I think we're still dealing with the fallout from that in a lot of ways.
Is there any connection between music and politics for you?
It's funny. I feel like these are the two things that I joke about being my whole personality—maybe also being from San Diego. If I could do either music or politics for the rest of my life, I think I'd be really happy. I have found some crossover from time to time—when I was 16, I recorded a campaign song for a candidate running for mayor of San Diego. She even used it at some events, which was really cool. If anyone has ideas for how I can combine these two passions further, I'd love to hear them. I'll always play music no matter what, whether or not it ends up being my career. But I think I've been lucky enough to have found ways to infuse music into my other passions, whether that's my culture, religion, or politics.
Lightning Round:
Who's your favorite music artist? Fleetwood Mac
Favorite Song you've written? "I Want The South," which you can find on the Penn Songwriters Collective YouTube.
Favorite spot on campus? The ARCH
What's something very random about you? I was the one who played the trumpet at the bigots on Locust Walk.
There are two types of people at Penn … Characters and less characters.
And you are? Somewhere in between.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
Do you know that one senior who brings a smile to everyone’s face or always has the craziest stories? It is time to give them the recognition they deserve. Ego of the Week seeks to showcase seniors not for their grades or any other academic construct, but for who they are as a person and the joy they bring to the people around them! Nominate your favorite Penn seniors for Ego of the Week!
