Contact Chai is Mishkan Chicago’s podcast feed, where you can hear our Shabbat sermons, Morning Minyans, interviews with Jewish thought leaders, and more.
We've all wondered why G-d hardened Pharaoh's heart. But have you ever wonder why G-d didn't harden Pharaoh's courtiers' hearts after saying G-d would? And what does "harden" really mean? We got into it in today's Morning Minyan held on January 18th.
Every weekday at 8:00 am, Mishkan Chicago holds a virtual Morning Minyan. You can join in yourself, or listen to all the prayer, music, and inspiration right here on Contact Chai.
https://www.mishkanchicago.org/series/morning-minyan-summer-fall-2023/
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For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Transcript
Today’s episode is from our service on January 12th when Rabbi Steven delivered a powerful sermon processing the rising death toll in Gaza amidst the ongoing war. As we grapple with our own loss, how can we open our hearts to compassion for others’ suffering? How can we hold all the stories that make us cry?
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For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Transcript
Today's episode is from our Morning Minyan on Thursday, January 11th when we discussed Parashat Va'era. G-d steps in to save the Hebrews from bondage, but Rabbi Steven is left with a big question — why now? Did G-d forget about them? Or maybe there's something more psychological going on...
Every weekday at 8:00 am, Mishkan Chicago holds a virtual Morning Minyan. You can join in yourself, or listen to all the prayer, music, and inspiration right here on Contact Chai.
https://www.mishkanchicago.org/series/morning-minyan-summer-fall-2023/
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For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Transcript
Today's episode is from our lively Morning Minyan discussion on Thursday, January 4th about Parashat Shemot. Who is this new pharaoh in the opening of Exodus? Just some fallible, faulty figurehead pushed around by a fearful populace? Or is he an impossibly long-lived, inhuman monster?
Every weekday at 8:00 am, Mishkan Chicago holds a virtual Morning Minyan. You can join in yourself, or listen to all the prayer, music, and inspiration right here on Contact Chai.
https://www.mishkanchicago.org/series/morning-minyan-summer-fall-2023/
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For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Transcript
Every weekday at 8:00 am, Mishkan Chicago holds a virtual Morning Minyan. Our Thursday sessions are hosted by Mishkan's Founding Rabbi, Lizzi Heydemann. You can join in yourself, or listen to all the prayer, music, and inspiration right here on Contact Chai.
https://www.mishkanchicago.org/series/morning-minyan-summer-fall-2023/
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For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Transcript
How did astrology guide our ancestors? And how can astrology help us reexamine our calendar today? At our December 15th Virtual Friday Night Shabbat, Rabbi Steven dove into the surprisingly mystical history behind our tradition's interpretation of the Jewish calendar.
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For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Transcript
At our December 8th service, Rabbi Steven connected the ancient themes of Hanukkah to the present-day realities of antisemitism and hatred which we must overcome together.
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For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Transcript
In honor of Transgender Day of Remembrance, we were honored to welcome special guest drasher Avery Komlofske to our Virtual Friday Night Shabbat service on November 17th. Avery is a graduate of Mishkan’s conversion and affirmation program, Blueprint, and he related his experiences of transitioning and converting to the gendered trials and tribulations of Esau in this week's parsha. Rabbi Steven also led us in the Mourner’s Kaddish for all we have lost this year to acts of transphobic violence.
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For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Transcript
"Empathy is not endorsement. Empathizing with someone you profoundly disagree with does not suddenly compromise your own deeply held beliefs and endorse theirs.”
-Dylan Marron
This episode is a Shabbat Replay from our November 11th Friday Night Shabbat.
Big programming note — Rabbi Lizzi is taking a well deserved sabbatical. This means that while we will continue with our Morning Minyans every weekday and you'll still see services, sermons, and minyan content in this feed, we won't be hearing from R'Lizzi until February 2024. We hope you'll enjoy hearing from Rabbi Steven and guest hosts in the meantime!
https://www.mishkanchicago.org/im-going-on-sabbatical/
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For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Transcript
Big programming note — Rabbi Lizzi is taking a well deserved sabbatical beginning next week! This means that while we will continue with our Morning Minyans every weekday and you'll still see services, sermons, and minyan content in this feed, we won't be hearing from R'Lizzi until February 2024. We hope you'll enjoy hearing thoughtful content from Rabbi Steven and guest hosts in the meantime.
https://www.mishkanchicago.org/im-going-on-sabbatical/
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For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Transcript
When the world tries to rob us of our humanity, our response is to be more human.
This episode is a Shabbat Replay from our October 27th Friday Night Shabbat.
Big programming note — Rabbi Lizzi is taking a well deserved sabbatical. This means that while we will continue with our Morning Minyans every weekday and you'll still see services, sermons, and minyan content in this feed, we won't be hearing from R'Lizzi until February 2024. We hope you'll enjoy hearing from Rabbi Steven and guest hosts in the meantime!
https://www.mishkanchicago.org/im-going-on-sabbatical/
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For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Transcript
What do Abraham and Debbie Friedman have in common? Find out in this episode taken from our October 26th minyan!
Big programming note — Rabbi Lizzi is taking a well deserved sabbatical. This means that while we will continue with our Morning Minyans every weekday and you'll still see services, sermons, and minyan content in this feed, we won't be hearing from R'Lizzi until February 2024. We hope you'll enjoy hearing from Rabbi Steven and guest hosts in the meantime!
https://www.mishkanchicago.org/im-going-on-sabbatical/
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For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Transcript
At our October 21st Saturday morning Shabbat service, we welcomed community member Joel Braunold to give a talk on the present crisis in Israel in Gaza. Joel is the Managing Director of the S. Daniel Abraham Center for Middle East Peace, and he holds dozens of relationships with policy makers and NGO heads in Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank.
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For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Transcript
Don't tap that screen — tap into your best self! At our October 20th virtual service, Rabbi Lizzi delivered a drash connecting the themes of Parashat Noach to our own present catastrophe. Sometimes, even if we want to stay informed, it does us a lot of good to unplug, step away, and rest. Thankfully, Shabbos is here to invite us to do just that!
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For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Transcript
In this morning's virtual minyan, Rabbi Lizzi read from How Lovely the Ruins: Inspirational Poems and Words for Difficult Times, a poetry collection she has been turning to during this painful time. Just try not to cry.
Every weekday at 8:00 am, Mishkan Chicago holds a virtual Morning Minyan. Our Thursday sessions are hosted by Mishkan's Founding Rabbi, Lizzi Heydemann. You can join in yourself or listen to all the prayer, music, and inspiration right here on Contact Chai.
https://www.mishkanchicago.org/series/morning-minyan-summer-fall-2023/
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For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Transcript
Content Warning: This episode contents rocket sirens and frank discussions of war.
Today's episode is our virtual Morning Minyan from October 16th. Rabbi Lizzi led us in a celebration of Rosh Chodesh and prayers for the hostages, and then beginning at 36:19, Jerusalem-based Mishkanite Rachel Goldberg was generous enough to share some updates about what life is like in Israel right now.
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For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Transcript
Our October 13th service was something to behold. This was our first Friday Night Shabbat post High Holidays, and our community has been reaching out looking for a space to grieve and pray following the devastating October 7th terrorist attack on Israeli civilians. As a result, this was our most attended service since the pandemic. Rabbi Lizzi welcomed us into the restful, restorative place that is Shabbat. Then, Rabbi Steven delivered a vulnerable sermon imploring us all not to forget, even in this time of heightened tensions, that all of our neighbors are made in the image of God.
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For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Transcript
At our Virtual Morning Minyan on October 12th, Rabbi Lizzi welcomed dozens of community members to pray for those impacted by the ongoing violence in Israel and Gaza, and to hold space for one another to process our own feelings.
The song featured in the intro to today's episode was "Tree of Life" by Nefesh Mountain. The creator featured at the end of today's episode was prominent artist Miriam Anzovin whose work can be found at @miriamanzovin on TikTok.
Every weekday at 8:00 am, Mishkan Chicago holds a virtual Morning Minyan. Our Thursday sessions are hosted by Mishkan's Founding Rabbi, Lizzi Heydemann. You can join in yourself or listen to all the prayer, music, and inspiration right here on Contact Chai.
https://www.mishkanchicago.org/series/morning-minyan-summer-fall-2023/
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For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Transcript
On October 9th, just two days after the terror attack on Israeli civilians by Hamas, our regularly scheduled Monday Morning Minyan with Rachel Goldberg became a space for our community to process the horrific ongoing news. Rachel, who is living in Israel, shared with Rabbi Lizzi and over a hundred Mishkanites about her experiences.
We have already reached out to our community via email to provide solidarity, support, and further context, and you’ll hear more from us in the coming days. We pray that every single person, and in particular those who are caught in this violence through no choice of their own, is protected under a sukkat shalom — a shelter of peace.
Transcript
At our Virtual Morning Minyan on October 5th, Rabbi Lizzi shook things up by welcoming minyan members into her sukkah. That's right — today's virtual minyan was partially in-person!
The song featured in the intro to today's episode was "Great Day" by Eddie From Ohio.
Every weekday at 8:00 am, Mishkan Chicago holds a virtual Morning Minyan. Our Thursday sessions are hosted by Mishkan's Founding Rabbi, Lizzi Heydemann. You can join in yourself or listen to all the prayer, music, and inspiration right here on Contact Chai.
https://www.mishkanchicago.org/series/morning-minyan-summer-fall-2023/
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For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Transcript
At our 5784 Kol Nidre service, Rabbi Steven Philp delivered a drash on the centrality of joy in Jewish tradition. If we allow ourselves to be fully present and fully ourselves, we will find that God is inviting each of us to joy. Have you made time for joy in your day, yet?
If you have been moved by any of Mishkan’s High Holy Days services, we encourage you to donate to our High Holidays Campaign.
https://secure.givelively.org/donate/mishkan-chicago/mishkan-high-holidays-2023-5784
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For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Transcript
At our Virtual Morning Minyan on September 28th, Rabbi Lizzi puzzled over the plight of Moshe at the end of the Torah. Why does the man who delivered us from bondage (and received the Torah itself!) not live to see culmination of that labor? Why does the narrative of the Torah leave off with Moshe dying before making it into the Promised Land? Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks may have some insight into this Mosaic mystery.
Every weekday at 8:00 am, Mishkan Chicago holds a virtual Morning Minyan. Our Thursday sessions are hosted by Mishkan's Founding Rabbi, Lizzi Heydemann. You can join in yourself, or listen to all the prayer, music, and inspiration right here on Contact Chai.
https://www.mishkanchicago.org/series/morning-minyan-summer-fall-2023/
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For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Transcript
Today’s episode is composed of two memorable moments from our 5784 High Holiday services in which lay leaders took to the bima. In the first excerpt from our Kol Nidre service, Tim Graves delivered a drash about his own personal, painful journey of teshuvah as he embraces sobriety. In the second from our Yom Kippur service, Jackie Rassner delivered a drash about the Bring Chicago Home campaign to combat homelessness. In both sermons, we find that the key to changing the world is often changing ourselves.
If you have been moved by any of Mishkan’s High Holy Days services, we encourage you to donate to our High Holidays Campaign.
https://secure.givelively.org/donate/mishkan-chicago/mishkan-high-holidays-2023-5784
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For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Transcript
At our Virtual Morning Minyan on September 21st, Rabbi Lizzi helped us fill in that sometimes awkwardly normal between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. How can we use this time intentionally as an opportunity to experience the divine?
The song featured in today's episode is "Seder Ha'Avoda" by Ishay Ribo, which is a setting of the high priest's ritual at Yom Kippur. Give it a listen while reading along to these profound, ancient words!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECy3CMxShIQ
Every weekday at 8:00 am, Mishkan Chicago holds a virtual Morning Minyan. Our Thursday sessions are hosted by Mishkan's Founding Rabbi, Lizzi Heydemann. You can join in yourself, or listen to all the prayer, music, and inspiration right here on Contact Chai.
https://www.mishkanchicago.org/series/morning-minyan-summer-fall-2023/
Mishkan Chicago's High Holiday tickets are now on sale to the general public! For scheduling, pricing, venue information, and tickets, follow this link:
https://www.mishkanchicago.org/high-holy-days/
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For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Transcript
Mishkan Chicago's High Holiday tickets are now on sale to the general public! For scheduling, pricing, venue information, and tickets, follow this link:
https://www.mishkanchicago.org/high-holy-days/
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For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Transcript
At our Erev Rosh Hashanah service, Rabbi Steven shared a story of his own personal Moses — his uncle Bill, a family friend living with HIV who would not live to see the Promised Land of further gains in LGBTQIA+ rights, but who did leave a lasting impression on young Steven. What are the legacies we will leave behind? What Promised Lands are beyond our lifetimes which we can nonetheless fight for here and now for our children and our children's children?
Mishkan Chicago's High Holiday tickets are now on sale to the general public! For scheduling, pricing, venue information, and tickets, follow this link:
https://www.mishkanchicago.org/high-holy-days/
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For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Transcript
At our Virtual Morning Minyan on September 14th, Rabbi Lizzi rang in the day before the night of the beginning of the first holiday of the Days of Awe!
Every weekday at 8:00 am, Mishkan Chicago holds a virtual Morning Minyan. Our Thursday sessions are hosted by Mishkan's Founding Rabbi, Lizzi Heydemann. You can join in yourself, or listen to all the prayer, music, and inspiration right here on Contact Chai.
https://www.mishkanchicago.org/series/morning-minyan-summer-fall-2023/
Mishkan Chicago's High Holiday tickets are now on sale to the general public! For scheduling, pricing, venue information, and tickets, follow this link:
https://www.mishkanchicago.org/high-holy-days/
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For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Transcript
At our Virtual Morning Minyan on September 7th, Rabbi Lizzi prepared us for the High Holidays by teaching us about Selichot.
Every weekday at 8:00 am, Mishkan Chicago holds a virtual Morning Minyan. Our Thursday sessions are hosted by Mishkan's Founding Rabbi, Lizzi Heydemann. You can join in yourself, or listen to all the prayer, music, and inspiration right here on Contact Chai.
https://www.mishkanchicago.org/series/morning-minyan-summer-fall-2023/
Mishkan Chicago's High Holiday tickets are now on sale to the general public! For scheduling, pricing, venue information, and tickets, follow this link:
https://www.mishkanchicago.org/high-holy-days/
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For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Transcript
At our Virtual Morning Minyan on August 31st, Rabbi Lizzi advocates Veganism. Well, not exactly — you'll have to listen to find out what this week's Torah portion has to say about G_d's original dietary prescription for humans.
Every weekday at 8:00 am, Mishkan Chicago holds a virtual Morning Minyan. Our Thursday sessions are hosted by Mishkan's Founding Rabbi, Lizzi Heydemann. You can join in yourself, or listen to all the prayer, music, and inspiration right here on Contact Chai.
https://www.mishkanchicago.org/series/morning-minyan-summer-fall-2023/
Mishkan Chicago's High Holiday tickets are now on sale to the general public! For scheduling, pricing, venue information, and tickets, follow this link:
https://www.mishkanchicago.org/high-holy-days/
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For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Transcript
Today’s episode is a Shabbat Replay from last Friday’s service on August 25th, our “Back to Shul” Shabbat when we blessed learners of all ages from families sending children off to school to college students leaving to our cohort of Exploring Judaism students, some of whom recently took a momentous dip in the mikvah. As you will hear, we welcomed these new Jews to our community, and were greatly inspired by the moving words of guest drasher Linda Kinning, a Jew by Choice who offered, in her words, an outsider perspective on the beauty of Jewish tradition and the power of the High Holidays.
Mishkan Chicago's High Holiday tickets are now on sale to the general public! For scheduling, pricing, venue information, and tickets, follow this link:
https://www.mishkanchicago.org/high-holy-days/
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For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Transcript
At our Virtual Morning Minyan on August 24th, Rabbi Lizzi urged us to be gentle with ourselves as we reckon with the past year's shortcomings.
The song featured in the opening of this episode is "awaken" by Marni Loffman (@singingjewess) off their new album "the long short path".
Every weekday at 8:00 am, Mishkan Chicago holds a virtual Morning Minyan. Our Thursday sessions are hosted by Mishkan's Founding Rabbi, Lizzi Heydemann. You can join in yourself, or listen to all the prayer, music, and inspiration right here on Contact Chai.
https://www.mishkanchicago.org/series/morning-minyan-summer-fall-2023/
Mishkan Chicago's High Holiday tickets are now on sale to the general public! For scheduling, pricing, venue information, and tickets, follow this link:
https://www.mishkanchicago.org/high-holy-days/
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For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Transcript
Moshe's generation who led the Israelites out of Egypt did not lead the people all the way into the Promised Land. In fact, they messed things up so badly that they didn't get to go at all! That daunting journey was left for the next generation.
Our Friday, August 19th service was focused on exciting celebrations for our families — BMitzvahs, a baby naming, and more! Rabbi Lizzi took this opportunity to reflect on how we are yet again leaving a daunting task to the next generation of Jewish leaders. Will our children be able to succeed where we failed?
Mishkan Chicago's High Holiday tickets are now on sale to the general public! For scheduling, pricing, venue information, and tickets, follow this link:
https://www.mishkanchicago.org/high-holy-days/
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For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Transcript
Feeling stuck? Exhausted? Overwhelmed? Wish you could start everything all over again? Then you have something in common with Moshe after he smashed the first draft of those tablets.
During our virtual service on August 18th, Rabbi Steven encouraged us to take the first step toward spiritually preparing ourselves for the High Holy Days.
Mishkan Chicago's High Holiday tickets are now on sale to the general public! For scheduling, pricing, venue information, and tickets, follow this link:
https://www.mishkanchicago.org/high-holy-days/
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For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Transcript
Rabbi Lizzi and the Thursday Morning Minyan crew are joined by Rabbi Shefa Gold who leads us in meditative, musical chanting. Plus, we blow the first Shofar blast of Elul!
Every weekday at 8:00 am, Mishkan Chicago holds a virtual Morning Minyan. Our Thursday sessions are hosted by Mishkan's Founding Rabbi, Lizzi Heydemann. You can join in yourself, or listen to all the prayer, music, and inspiration right here on Contact Chai.
https://www.mishkanchicago.org/series/morning-minyan-summer-fall-2023/
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For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Transcript
At our August 11th service, Rabbi Steven reflected on a moral conundrum that hits extremely close to home — the effort to build shelter for 500 asylum seekers in his neighborhood.
Mishkan Chicago's High Holiday tickets are now on sale to the general public! For scheduling, pricing, venue information, and tickets, follow this link:
https://www.mishkanchicago.org/high-holy-days/
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For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Transcript
Every weekday at 8:00 am, Mishkan Chicago holds a virtual Morning Minyan. Our Thursday sessions are hosted by Mishkan's Founding Rabbi, Lizzi Heydemann. You can join in yourself, or listen to all the prayer, music, and inspiration right here on Contact Chai.
In our August 10th session, Rabbi Lizzi led us through Parashat Re'eh meditating on the theme of choice.
The opening song in this episode was "Wonder / Asher Yatzar" by Rabbi Josh Warshawsky.
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For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Transcript
Every weekday at 8:00 am, Mishkan Chicago holds a virtual Morning Minyan. Our Thursday sessions are hosted by Mishkan's Founding Rabbi, Lizzi Heydemann. You can join in yourself, or listen to all the prayer, music, and inspiration right here on Contact Chai.
In our August 3rd session, Rabbi Lizzi schooled (shul'ed?) us on Parashat Eikev.
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For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Transcript
At our August 5th service, Rabbi Lizzi unpacked the news that the Tree of Life shooter is set to receive the death penalty. What does Jewish tradition have to say about murder, capital punishment, and true justice?
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For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Transcript
Every weekday at 8:00 am, Mishkan Chicago holds a virtual Morning Minyan. Our Thursday sessions are hosted by Mishkan's Founding Rabbi, Lizzi Heydemann. You can join in yourself, or listen to all the prayer, music, and inspiration right here on Contact Chai.
Our July 27th session fell on Tisha B'Av, so Rabbi Lizzi took some time to make space for people to grieve the latest tragedy to befall Israel — the ongoing judicial coup and democratic crisis.
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For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Transcript
Every weekday at 8:00 am, Mishkan Chicago holds a virtual Morning Minyan. Our Thursday sessions are hosted by Mishkan's Founding Rabbi, Lizzi Heydemann. You can join in yourself, or listen to all the prayer, music, and inspiration right here on Contact Chai.
In our July 20th session, Rabbi Lizzi taught us about Parashat Devarim, wherein Moses breaks the bad news that his followers' 11 day tour of the Levant is going to take a little longer than advertised.
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For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Transcript
Today's episode is Rabbi Steven's sermon at Rosh Hashanah 5783.
This July, we are giving our Shababat Production Team a summer break, so this month’s Replays are from our 5783 High Holiday services. We hope it’s pleasant company on your summer travels. July 1st also marks the beginning of our Builder Renewal cycle. Shabbat, High Holidays, Pride programming, inspirational sermons — everything you love about Mishkan Chicago is made possible through Buildership, our collaborative model of membership. Check your inbox for an email with details about how to re-up your annual gift today. Thinking of joining? Now is a perfect time!
https://www.mishkanchicago.org/support/be-a-builder/
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For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Transcript
Today's episode is Rabbi Lizzi's sermon at Erev Rosh 5783.
This July, we are giving our Shababat Production Team a summer break, so this month’s Replays are from our 5783 High Holiday services. We hope it’s pleasant company on your summer travels. July 1st also marks the beginning of our Builder Renewal cycle. Shabbat, High Holidays, Pride programming, inspirational sermons — everything you love about Mishkan Chicago is made possible through Buildership, our collaborative model of membership. Check your inbox for an email with details about how to re-up your annual gift today. Thinking of joining? Now is a perfect time!
https://www.mishkanchicago.org/support/be-a-builder/
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For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Transcript
Today’s episode is a Shabbat Replay of our service last night, June 23rd, which marked our annual Pride Shabbat! If you are looking for the powerful drash delivered by Builder Ronan Goforth or our "Born This Way" rendition of Lecha Dodi, check out the timecodes below.
Timecodes:
[00:00] Intro + Shalom Aleichem
[05:03] Welcome from R’Lizzi, Roe v. Wade Yahrzeit
[08:42] L’chu Neranena
[11:30] Mizmor L’David
[14:38] Ana B’Koach
[16:58] R'Steven: "Born This Way" Lecha Dodi (YAAAS SHABBOS KWEEN)
[24:32] Barchu
[26:00] Debbie Friedman Tribute + Mi Chamocha
[30:33] R'Lizzi Message
[35:10] Hashkiveinu
[37:32] Announcements
[39:26] Drash by Builder Ronan Goforth
[51:03] "We Rise" by Batya Levine
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For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Transcript
Every weekday at 8:00 am, Mishkan Chicago holds a virtual Morning Minyan. Our Thursday sessions are hosted by Mishkan's Founding Rabbi, Lizzi Heydemann. You can join in yourself, or listen to all the prayer, music, and inspiration right here on Contact Chai.
In our June 22nd, 2023 session, Rabbi Lizzi taught us about Parashat Korach, and Adira had a lot of questions.
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For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Transcript
At our Virtual Friday Night Shabbat service on June 16th, Rabbi Lizzi explored how our self-doubt can become a self-fulfilling prophecy.
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For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Transcript
Every weekday at 8:00 am, Mishkan Chicago holds a virtual Morning Minyan. Our Thursday sessions are hosted by Mishkan's Founding Rabbi, Lizzi Heydemann. You can join in yourself, or listen to all the prayer, music, and inspiration right here on Contact Chai.
In our June 15th, 2023 session, Rabbi Lizzi taught us about Parashat Shelach Lecha which contains the stories of the twelves spies who are overcome by self-doubt. Well, ten of them are overcome by fear of giants! How does our own self perception limit what we can achieve?
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For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Transcript
Saturday Morning Unplugged on June 3rd, 2023 was an especially learning-centered service. We apologize for the spotty audio quality of this episode, but the touching insights shared by Rabbi Lizzi and Rabbi Steven make this installment worth a listen!
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For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Transcript
Today’s episode is a Shabbat Replay of our service last night, June 9th. This is a lightly abbreviated recording of the entire service, so if you’re looking for Rabbi Steven’s powerful Pride sermon on the passing of Pat Robertson, a particular song, or any other moment, check the timecodes below.
Timecodes:
[00:52] Lechu Neranena L’Adonai
[03:59] Welcome from R’Lizzi
[07:18] Shiru L’Adonai
[10:40] Mizmor L’David
[13:50] Words from R’Lizzi
[22:55] Lecha Dodi —> Siman Tov U’Mazal Tov
[28:00] Bar'chu et Adonai Ham'vorach
[29:18] Hashkiveinu (Ufros Aleinu) —> V’Shamru
[34:16] “So, Pat Robertson died yesterday…” Drash by R’Steven
[46:35] Ana El Na
[49:28] Announcements
[57:38] Aleinu
[59:55] Kaddish
[01:02:09] Hallelu
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For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Transcript
Every weekday at 8:00 am, Mishkan Chicago holds a virtual Morning Minyan. Our Thursday sessions are hosted by Mishkan's Founding Rabbi, Lizzi Heydemann. You can join in yourself, or listen to all the prayer, music, and inspiration right here on Contact Chai.
In our June 8th, 2023 session, Rabbi Lizzi taught us about Parashat Behaalotecha, the Torah portion which contains the very human story of Aaron's apparent envy of Moshe's unique relationship with God. What's it like to get constantly one-upped by your baby brother your whole life?
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For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Transcript
Every weekday at 8:00 am, Mishkan Chicago holds a virtual Morning Minyan. Our Thursday sessions are hosted by Mishkan's Founding Rabbi, Lizzi Heydemann. You can join in yourself, or listen to all the prayer, music, and inspiration right here on Contact Chai.
In our June 1st, 2023 session, Rabbi Lizzi taught us about Parashat Naso, the Torah portion which contains commandments on nazirite vows (like not drinking wine or cutting your hair!), as well as sotah, the ritual drink given to women suspected of adultery.
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For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Transcript
On Friday, May 26th, Mishkan Chicago wished Rabbi Deena a fond farewell as she embarks on her journey to New York City where she will serve B’nai Jeshurun as Director of Family Life and Learning. We are proud to present this lightly abbreviated audio version of the entire service. If you’re looking for any song or moment in particular, check the timecodes below.
Timecodes:
[00:00] — Intro
[02:40 ]— Welcome from R’Lizzi
[04:25] — Shalom Aleichem (Welcome, Angels!)
[07:11] — Min Hameitzar
[12:12] — R’Lizzi on Shavuot
[15:40] — Yaaleh VeYavo
[19:26] — R’Lizzi on transitions and God’s plans
[22:54] — Halleluyah
[24:52] — Announcements! Summer plans
[26:42] — R’Lizzi says goodbye
[30:56] — R’Steven says goodbye
[34:00] — R’Deena’s farewell sermon
[49:14] — Crowded Table
[52:54] — Bar’chu
[55:06] — Veahavta
[57:10] — Hashkiveinu
[01:02:15] — Closing remarks
[01:03:02] — Oseh Shalom
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For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Transcript
Every weekday at 8:00 am, Mishkan Chicago holds a virtual Morning Minyan. Our Thursday sessions are hosted by Mishkan's Founding Rabbi, Lizzi Heydemann. You can join in yourself, or listen to all the prayer, music, and inspiration right here on Contact Chai.
In our May 25th, 2023 session, we prepared for the revelation of the Torah — Shavuot begins tonight! The song featured at the beginning of this episode is עבדו את ה' בשמחה by Yonatan Razel.
https://open.spotify.com/track/1XYAxcBNh1A4NZlu3a6nUj?
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For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Transcript
Today’s episode of Shabbat Replay is from our Virtual Shabbat service on Friday, May 19th when Rabbi Steven delivered a pre Shavuot sermon.
Celebrate Shavuot and Rabbi Deena’s last service this Friday, May 26th. Join us in Northcenter Town Square at 6:30 pm or come early at 5:30 pm for a Pizza Picnic complete with an ice cream truck and games!
https://www.mishkanchicago.org/events/2023-05-26/
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For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Transcript
Every weekday at 8:00 am, Mishkan Chicago holds a virtual Morning Minyan. Our Thursday sessions are hosted by Mishkan's Founding Rabbi, Lizzi Heydemann. You can join in yourself, or listen to all the prayer, music, and inspiration right here on Contact Chai!
Our May 18th, 2023 session covered Parashat Bamidbar. This portion is from Numbers, and numbers are sequential, logical, and clear, right? Wrong! It's a wild one — strap in.
Tomorrow, May 19th, we will hold a special Morning Minyan send-off for Rabbi Deena who is leaving Mishkan at the end of the month. We invite you to join us to lend your goodbyes and well wishes to R'Deena!
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For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Transcript
Last week, Rabbi Steven and Rabbi Lizzi were honored to attend Mayor-Elect Johnson’s Interfaith Breakfast with hundreds of faith leaders from around Chicago. In his sermon at our May 12th Friday Night Shabbat service, Rabbi Steven reflected on this moment of optimism and cooperation, and challenged us to treat everyone in this city as not only neighbors, but kin, loved ones so dear to us that we cannot help but stand with them in their struggles.
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For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Transcript
Every weekday at 8:00 am, Mishkan Chicago holds a virtual Morning Minyan. Our Thursday sessions are hosted by Mishkan's Founding Rabbi, Lizzi Heydemann. You can join in yourself, or listen to all the prayer, music, and inspiration right here on Contact Chai!
Our May 11th, 2023 session covered Parashat Behar-Bechukotai. This portion includes instructions on shmitah, the sabbatical year where the land gets a Shabbat of its own. How can we apply this fascinating, liberating concept in modern society?
Next Friday, May 19th, we will hold a special Morning Minyan send-off for Rabbi Deena who is leaving Mishkan at the end of the month. We invite you to join us to lend your goodbyes and well wishes to R'Deena!
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For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Transcript
At our May 6th Saturday Morning Shabbat service, Rabbi Deena reflected on the difficult verses in Parashat Emor which ban people with certain physical disabilities from serving as priests. In the light of the disability rights movement, how can we do better?
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For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Transcript
Every weekday at 8:00 am, Mishkan Chicago holds a virtual Morning Minyan. You can join in yourself, or listen to all the prayer, music, and inspiration right here on Contact Chai!
Our Thursday Morning Minyans are hosted by Rabbi Lizzi, and in our May 4th, 2023 session, she had a lot to say about the whole "only people without blemishes can serve as priests" thing in this week's parsha. What kind of person does God want serving God? Do our "imperfections," physical or moral, really disqualify us?
On Friday, May 19th, we will hold a special Morning Minyan send-off for Rabbi Deena who is leaving Mishkan at the end of the month. We invite you to join us to lend your goodbyes and well wishes to R'Deena!
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For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Transcript
At our April 28th, 2023 Friday Night Shabbat service, Rabbi Lizzi connected the ancient nation-building project of Moshe in the Torah to the 20th century foundation of the State of Israel, and examined the losses suffered by both Israeli and Palestinian families to create it. Seventy-five years after the day which Israelis mark as a joyous Independence Day and Palestinians mark as a mournful catastrophe, can we now work together to build a world safe for everyone?
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For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Transcript
At our Saturday morning service on April 15th, Rabbi Deena argued that the Torah's food laws are more than just an all-or-nothing, take-it-or-leave-it obligation — kashrut is also an ancient mindful eating practice we can all learn from!
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For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Transcript
At our final Shabbat service before Passover, Rabbi Steven left us with some words of wisdom on the spiritual and practical dimensions of kashering your kitchen for Passover. Does your soul need a little spring cleaning, too? What can you leave behind in Mitzrayim?
Join Mishkan for our third annual virtual seder on Thursday, April 6th at 7:30 pm.
https://www.mishkanchicago.org/event/from-me-to-we-virtual-passover-seder/
We invite you to a virtual panel on the Pro-Democracy Uprising in Israel on Sunday, April 9th at 10:30 am.
https://www.mishkanchicago.org/event/perspectives-on-the-pro-democracy-uprising-in-israel/
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This sermon is from our April 1st, 2023 Saturday Morning Shabbat service at JCYS. For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
On March 24th, 2023, Mishkan participated in the Lakeview-wide Mental Health Shabbat. Rabbi Steven delivered a drash on breaking the silence around suicide in the Jewish community. Please be advised that this sermon contains discussion of suicide.
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This sermon is from our March 24th, 2023 Shabbat service at Second Unitarian Church. For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
How do Sephardi families' Seder plates differ from their Ashkenazi cousins? How do different Sephardi communities' observances differ from one another? And how has American Ashkenormativity erased those differences? And what even is Ashkenormativity?!
In this very special Passover episode of Contact Chai, Rabbi Deena explores how her Sephardic heritage shaped her family's Seder traditions, and shares how you can make your own Seder unique to your background — even if you are Jewish by choice.
Mishkan Chicago's Passover Resource Round-Up
https://www.mishkanchicago.org/shabbat-holidays/holidays/pesah/
From Me to We: Virtual Passover Seder (Thursday, April 6th)
https://www.mishkanchicago.org/event/from-me-to-we-virtual-passover-seder/
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This sermon is from our March 17th, 2023 Virtual Shabbat service. For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Transcript
Rabbi Lizzi explores the spiritual technology of the Passover Seder, which, every year, forces us to reckon with our past to understand our present and imagine a radically different future.
Mishkan Chicago's Passover Resource Round-Up
https://www.mishkanchicago.org/shabbat-holidays/holidays/pesah/
From Me to We: Virtual Passover Seder (Thursday, April 6th)
https://www.mishkanchicago.org/event/from-me-to-we-virtual-passover-seder/
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This sermon is from our March 17th, 2023 Virtual Shabbat service. For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Transcript
"God's plan all along is to get God's people together. When you get God's people together, there should be an expectation that something is going to change...Can you still be faithful even if the only thing changing is you? Your views, your perspectives, your thoughts. Hanging with people who have a different lived experience might change you. So let us get together, let us unify, and let us expect change."
At our February 24th Friday Night Shabbat service, we welcomed our friends from Lawndale Christian Community Church to services. Pastor Jonathan "Pastah J" Brooks co-led services with Rabbi Lizzi and then delivered a moving sermon about his community's perspective that the Bible is a story of God's people being called to change.
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For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Transcript
What did the ancient rabbis have to say about abortion? And how are Jewish organizers today drawing inspiration from the tradition they handed down? On Friday, February 17th, we celebrated Repro Shabbat with a panel on reproductive justice hosted by Rabbi Steven and featuring two Mishkanites with extensive experience on this issue — Sarah Garza Resnick and Elizabeth Posner.
For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Transcript
At our February 10th Friday Night Shabbat service, we celebrated Jewish Disability, Awareness, and Inclusion Month. After a message on the timeless wisdom embedded in the Ten Commandments, Rabbi Lizzi welcomed Mishkanite Anna Giuliano to share her experiences as a member of the disability community.
For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Transcript
Even with a charismatic, visionary leader like Moshe, big changes are impossible without ordinary people choosing to bravely place their faith in a better future.
Today’s Shabbat Replay is from our February 4th Saturday morning service. Rabbi Lizzi welcomed friends and family of BMitzvah Julius, shared some updates on what to expect from Mishkan in February, wished us all a happy Tu B’Shevat (the birthday of the trees), and then delivered a powerful sermon connecting the story of the first person to gingerly dip a toe into the Sea of Reeds with other brave pioneers in the long history of liberation.
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For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Transcript
In anticipation of Tu B’Shevat, the Jewish New Year of the Trees, Rabbi Steven spoke with Hans Detweiler, a member of the Mishkan Sustainability Team with an impressive environmental activism resume, for a conversation about small things you can do to decarbonize your life. Check out the show notes below for links to resources about decarbonization curated by the Mishkan Sustainability Team.
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So you are ready to work on decarbonizing your home? Here’s a great consumer guide to think through all the pieces:
https://www.buildingdecarb.org/store/p194/A_Pocket_Guide_to_All-Electric_Retrofits_of_Single-Family_Homes.html
What is next for decarbonization in Chicago? Chicago is exempt from Illinois’ building code, and is entirely responsible to develop its own code. This is a great opportunity, as the current code needs a lot of help! Learn more about Chicago’s decarbonization plan here:
https://www.chicago.gov/content/dam/city/progs/env/2022/Final-2022-Building-Decarb-City-Document.pdf
Why is Mishkan’s Sustainability team excited about “electrify everything?” Read this great explanation from energy guru Saul Griffith. Pour a cup of coffee first: this article from Vox is intense and captures the big picture and the urgency.
https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/21349200/climate-change-fossil-fuels-rewiring-america-electrify
If you read the Vox article above, you understand the importance of switching from gas furnaces to heat pumps. Heat pumps that work well throughout a Chicago winter are now available! Consumer Reports asks the question of how well they work in cold climates in the article below, and finds they work well. By the way, if your HVAC contractor says “no,” they are wrong! The sustainability committee can recommend up-to-date firms.
https://www.consumerreports.org/heat-pumps/can-heat-pumps-actually-work-in-cold-climates-a4929629430/
Decarbonization is a great challenge. How can we do it with equity? To finish you reading list, here is a moving case study from Pembroke IL about equity and the Heat Pump Revolution in Illinois:
https://rmi.org/from-poverty-to-power-in-pembroke/
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For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
At our Friday Night service on January 27th, Rabbi Lizzi offered a welcoming message of decompression from this painful week of mass shootings. Then, Rabbi Deena delivered a drash on this week’s parsha from Exodus, comparing its plagues of death to our own.
For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
At our Saturday Morning Shabbat service on January 21st, we welcomed Jenny Schaffer, a Mishkanite running for Police District Council, a new position for civilian oversight of the police created by the Empowering Communities for Public Safety (ECPS) ordinance, who taught us about the long fight for police reform.
For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
At our Virtual Friday Night service on January 20th, Rabbi Lizzi spoke on this week’s parsha from Exodus, and explored the idea of plagues as a wakeup call. She also gave mini-drash on angels who perform a similar warning function in the Torah.
For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
In honor of MLK Day weekend, Rabbi Lizzi welcomed beloved former Mishkan Davening Team member Rachel Goldberg, who is back from rabbinical school in Israel, to deliver a sermon connecting the ongoing struggle for justice in Israel and Palestine to the Exodus narrative in this week's parsha.
For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Today’s episode of Shabbat Replay is a new recording of Rabbi Lizzi’s drash from our Saturday Morning Shabbat service on January 7th. Her sermon addresses the themes of suffering and redemption in Parsahat Vayechi, as well as in the greatest masterpiece in modern cinema — Puss in Boots: The Last Wish.
For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
On Friday, December 23rd, we had a lovely night of Chinese food and latkes planned for Erev Erev Christmas. But the blizzard blowing through Chicago crashed our party, so over a hundred Mishkanites gathered virtually to light candles and sing Hanukkah tunes. Today’s Shabbat Replay is the delightful message that Rabbi Deena delivered to kick things off, plus some singing featuring Rabbi Lizzi.
Have you been inspired this year by the songs, sermons, and services from Mishkan on this very podcast? Then we invite you to consider a donation of any size to help us bring more inspiration in the new year.
https://mishkan.shulcloud.com/payment.php?donation_type_id=6812979
For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
At our December 16th service, Rabbi Lizzi delivered a drash on the endless debate over the true meaning of Hanukkah, the Jewish story’s cycle of violence and victimhood, and the coming AI apocalypse.
Have you been inspired this year by the songs, sermons, and services from Mishkan on this very podcast? Then we invite you to consider a donation of any size to help us bring more inspiration in the new year.
https://mishkan.shulcloud.com/payment.php?donation_type_id=6812979
For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Read transcript on the Mishkan Blog.
Today’s episode of Shabbat Replay is an inspiring sermon on the inclusive universality of the hanukkiah delivered by Rabbi Steven at our December 17th Saturday Morning Shabbat.
Have you been inspired this year by the songs, sermons, and services from Mishkan on this very podcast? Then we invite you to consider a donation of any size to help us bring more inspiration in the new year.
https://mishkan.shulcloud.com/payment.php?donation_type_id=6812979
For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Transcript
At our December 9th Friday Night Shabbat service, we welcomed back Rabbi Micah Shapiro, Mishkan's Musician-in-Residence. This episode is a lightly abbreviated version of the whole service. Check out the timecodes below if you’re looking for a particular song or moment.
[00:20] “Down the Well”
[01:35] Welcoming Message From R’Lizzi
[05:08] “Nekadma Fanav” (Psalm 95:2)
[10:48] “Tiferet” (Psalms 96:6)
[15:10] (Mizmor L’David) “Havu L’Adonai” (Psalm 29)
[18:30] Message From R’Micah
[20:15] Lekha Dodi
[28:36] Drash By R’Micah
[38:45] “We Let The Love Wash Over Us”
[42:25] Topical Message From R’Lizzi
[47:37] Mi Chamocha
[50:48] Hashkiveinu & V’shamru
[57:21] Oseh Shalom
Have you been inspired this year by the songs, sermons, and services from Mishkan on this very podcast? Then we invite you to consider a donation of any size to help us bring more inspiration in the new year.
https://mishkan.shulcloud.com/payment.php?donation_type_id=6812979
For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Transcript
At our December 3rd Saturday Morning Shabbat service, Rabbi Deena looked to "OG Torah Interpreter" Rashi for inspiration in doing the hard work of interpreting even hurtful actions in good faith.
Looking for more musical Mishkan fun during the week? Come out to our Music Jam with R'Micah on Thursday night! We'll be singing and getting ready for Shabbat together in the Mishkan Office this Thursday, December 8th at 7:00 pm.
https://www.mishkanchicago.org/event/thursday-night-music-jam/
For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Transcript
"It has been another week..."
At our virtual service on November 18th, Rabbi Steven reflected on antisemitism in our community, mused on astrology, and commemorated the Trans and Non-binary siblings we have lost to violence in honor of Transgender Day of Remembrance.
Note: This sermon was written, recorded, and released before the events of November 19th in Colorado Springs, which only remind us with further urgency that we must stand in solidarity with our LGBTQIA+ siblings who are under attack in this country and around the world by forces of hate and ignorance.
For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Transcript
Today’s episode is a Shabbat Replay of our November 5th Saturday Morning service, featuring a sermon by Rabbi Steven on Parashat Lech Lecha. In examining Abram's brave decision to follow God’s call to go forth into the wild unknown, we can find the inspiration we need to face our own future, calling, and journey.
For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Transcript
At our Friday Night Shabbat service on October 28th, 2022, we were joined by R'Micah Shapiro, Mishkan's Musician-in-Residence. If you're looking for any song in particular, skip to a timecode below. Rabbi Steven's drash begins at 41:58.
0:00 — I Will Go Down To The Well
02:49 — Psalm 49:2
08:40 — Psalm 96:6
12:57 — Mizmor L'David
16:20 — Teaching by R'Micah
18:30 — Lekha Dodi
26:41 — Ahavat Olam + V'Ahavta
30:55 — Hashkiveinu
35:20 — V'Shamru
39:05 — Oseh Shalom
41:58 — "A Flood of Joy"— Drash by Rabbi Steven
59:50 — Aleinu
01:02:05 — Closing
For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
At our October 14th Friday Night Shabbat service, we were joined by guest speaker Jonathan Mendoza to celebrate Sukkot and Hispanic Heritage Month. Mendoza is an award-winning Jewish and Mexican-American community organizer, spoken word poet, social justice educator, and musician.
Read a transcript of this sermon on the Mishkan Blog.
For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Rabbi Deena's sermon from Yom Kippur on bravely beginning new things, complete with her first live guitar performance — Sweet Caroline!
If you were moved by this or any other moment during Get Higher 5783, we encourage you to donate to Mishkan’s High Holiday campaign to help us continue creating radically inclusive Jewish spaces.
Read a transcript of this sermon on the Mishkan Blog.
For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
At Mishkan’s 5783 Kol Nidre service, Rabbi Lizzi Heydemann delivered a sermon inviting us to call out “Hineni!” with Moshe and be fully present in every moment. If you have been moved by any of Mishkan’s High Holy Days services, we encourage you to donate to our High Holidays Campaign.
We have a number of exciting Sukkot activities planned this weekend! Join us for Friday Night Shabbat tonight, 10/14, as well as Shake It Off: Sukkah Family Fun on Saturday and LGBTQ+ Interfaith Sukkah Hang on Sunday. Then, on Monday, we're throwing a Simchat Torah dance party with JRC in Northcenter Town Square.
Mishkan Events Calendar:
https://www.mishkanchicago.org/events/2022-10/
Read a transcript of this sermon on the Mishkan Blog.
https://www.mishkanchicago.org/slow-down-look-up-kol-nidre/
For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
At Mishkan’s 5783 Rosh Hashanah service, Rabbi Steven delivered a stirring and deeply personal sermon reflecting on his recent divorce. If you have been moved by any of Mishkan’s High Holy Days services, we encourage you to donate to our High Holidays Campaign.
For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Transcript of R'Steven's Drash
At Mishkan's Erev Rosh Hashanah service, Rabbi Lizzi Heydemann delivered a sermon on learning to live with the heartbreaking circumstances of this world by relying on the tradition passed down to us by sages like Rabbi Eleazar who were no strangers to heartbreak themselves. This episode concludes with the Mishkan Davening Team's performance of "Crowded Table." If you have been moved by any of Mishkan’s High Holy Days services, we encourage you to donate to our High Holidays Campaign.
For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Transcript of R'Lizzi's Drash
Today’s episode features Rabbi Lizzi’s sermon on the Hebrew month of Elul, as well as lovely singing by the Davening Team, a speech by Builder Jon Quinn, a eulogy to Rabbi Edward Feldheim, and a touching welcome to our 36 “new Jews.” This recording is from Mishkan’s August 26th Friday Night Shabbat.
Highlights:
[01:57] R’Steven — Welcoming Message On Elul
[06:00] Lechu Neranena
[08:46] Mizmor l'David Havu Ladonai (Psalm 29)
[11:55] R’Deena — So Many Mikvehs!
[13:20] Jon Quinn — What Buildership Means To Me
[16:12] Lecha Dodi
[21:55] V’ahavta
[24:18] Welcoming Exploring Judaism Grads To The Mishkan
[28:19] R’Lizzi Drash — “Elul: May This Be A Month of Blessing,” including a Eulogy of R’Feldheim at 37:40
[45:15] R’Deena — Elul Blessing
[47:56] Closing Groove
Say, do you have your High Holiday tickets yet?
https://www.mishkanchicago.org/high-holy-days/
For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Transcript of R'Lizzi's Drash
Following the vandalism of Second Unitarian Church, Rabbi Steven spoke at a rally in solidarity with our interfaith partner and in support of abortion rights. Then, at our September 9th service at Second Unitarian, Rabbi Steven delivered a deeply personal drash reflecting on both the rally and the unforeseen course of his life. This sermon also contains a preview of Rabbi Steven's Rosh Hashanah sermon — do you have your ticket yet?
Spiritual Pre-Game: Prepping for the High Holidays
https://www.mishkanchicago.org/event/spiritual-pre-game-prepping-for-the-high-holidays/2022-09-07/
Selichot: Live and Outside!
https://www.mishkanchicago.org/event/selichot-live-and-outdoors-2022/
Get Higher 5783
https://www.mishkanchicago.org/high-holy-days/
For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Transcript
Thou shalt not let a good thing go to waste! At our September 3rd service, R'Deena delivered a drash on the principle of Bal Tashchit, or, literally, "Do Not Waste." How can we live a life dedicated to conserving our world's resources? You could start by composting with WasteNot!
Spiritual Pre-Game: Prepping for the High Holidays
https://www.mishkanchicago.org/event/spiritual-pre-game-prepping-for-the-high-holidays/2022-09-07/
Selichot: Live and Outside!
https://www.mishkanchicago.org/event/selichot-live-and-outdoors-2022/
Get Higher 5783
https://www.mishkanchicago.org/high-holy-days/
For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Transcript
Today’s episode is a drash from our Virtual Friday Night Shabbat on August 19th. Rabbi Deena spoke about the difficult task of comforting others the way God comforts us. This episode also features the song Nachamu by Elana Arian, performed by New Moon Rising.
For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Transcript
On Sunday, August 7th, Rabbi Lizzi led an interfaith Tisha B’Av service with Pastor Jonathan Brooks of Lawndale Community Christian Church. Pastor Jonathan, or Pastah J as he is affectionately known, is a renowned artist and community activist. In recognition of this somber holiday commemorating the many exiles and tragedies of the Jewish people, Rabbi Lizzi and Pastah J spoke passionately on the Jewish history and Black present of North Lawndale.
For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Transcript
Today’s episode is a discussion between Rabbi Lizzi and Russ Linden, author of “Loss and Discovery: What the Torah Can Teach Us about Leading Change.” The interview was conducted with the active participation of our Morning Minyan crew. Every weekday from 8 - 8:30 am, you can join us to start our day with a spiritual check-in with one of the Mishkan rabbis.
https://www.mishkanchicago.org/event/summer-2022-morning-minyan/all/
For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Transcript
High Holidays are just around the corner, and Mishkan Builders will have early access to tickets. Join or renew today before early access tickets go live next week!
****
On July 22nd, the rain held off just long enough for us to get through our climate themed outdoor Friday Night Shabbat Service. Could it have been the work of our old friend Honi the Circle Maker? Listen on to Rabbi Deena’s drash to hear the deets — it starts at [34:34]. This episode is a lightly abbreviated version of our entire service, filled with singing and inspiration. If you’re looking a particular song or message, jump to the time code below.
Welcome:
[01:30] — “Today I Almost Killed A Friend’s Plant…” — (R’Steven)
[07:00] — Lechu Neranena L'Adonai — (ft. Davening Team)
[10:36] — Shiru L'Adonai — (Davening Team)
[12:47] — Mizmor L’David — (Davening Team)
Message:
[16:21] — Where Is God In This? — (R’Lizzi)
[22:05] — Lecha Dodi (Leonard Cohen) — (Davening Team)
[27:31] — Psalm 92 / Mah Gad Lu — (Davening Team)
[29:55] — Reflections On Our Israel Trip — (ft. R’Lizzi)
[32:31] — Hashkiveinu (Steven Chaitman) — (Davening Team)
Drash:
[34:34] — Honi The Circle-Maker — (R’Deena)
[46:13] — We Rise (Batya Levine) — (Davening Team)
[49:01] — V'hashevota (Shir Yaakov) — (Davening Team)
[50:58] — Thank you, Jane Charney and Mark Achler!
[54:14] — Psalm 150 / Kol Haneshamah (Davening Team)
****
For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Transcript of Drash
At our Friday Night Shabbat service on July 15th, Rabbi Lizzi spoke about her trip to Israel, gave an impromptu explanation of the role of angels in our tradition, and, of course, sang several songs. Our upcoming July 22nd Friday Night Shabbat service will be outdoors at Francis W Parker, preceded by a Family Shabbat Picnic. We hope to see you there!
Service Highlights:
[00:45] — Angels Are Relentless! — (teaching)
[08:17] — Welcome Angels — (song)
[11:00] — Ana B’Koach — (song)
[14:40] — Holy Interruption — (teaching)
[17:51] — Reflections On Our Israel Trip — (drash)
[44:11] — Adon Olam — (song and closing statements)
For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Shortly before our June 24th Friday Night Shabbat service, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Because we were unable to livestream from our outdoor venue, a number of you in our community reached out to see if we could record the service. Thanks to the hard work of our Shabbat Producer Anna Gelman and our production team, we are able to provide this high quality recording of our June 24th, 2022 service in its entirety.
Service highlights:
[06:06] — Processing the news — R'Lizzi
[22:52] — Pride message — R'Steven
[29:50] — Born This Way / Lecha Dodi (Lady Gaga) — Davening Team
[31:01] — Announcements — R'Lizzi
[40:30] — Drash — R'Lizzi
[44:37] — Miriam's Song (Debbie Friedman) — Davening Team
[46:28] — We Will Be Okay — R'Deena
[49:50] — Hashkiveinu (Steven Chaitman) — Davening Team
[52:42] — For The Sake Of Heaven — R'Steven
[1:09:42] — Closing remarks + jam session — R'Deena, Davening Team
Mishkan invites you to our upcoming Pride programming, including a Pre-Shabbat Pride Happy Hour and Pride-Themed Friday Night Shabbat on June 24th. We will also be in the Chicago Pride Parade on June 26th — march with us!
Rabbi Mike Moskowitz is the Scholar-in-Residence for Trans and Queer Jewish Studies at Congregation Beit Simchat Torah, the world's largest LGBT synagogue. He is the recipient of three Ultra-Orthodox ordinations while learning in the Mir in Jerusalem and in Beth Medrash Govoha in Lakewood, NJ. Oh, and he's good friends with our very own Rabbi Steven! That picture is of R'Mike laying hands on R'Steven during his ordination.
This sermon was originally delivered during the Saturday Morning Shabbat service on June 10th. For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Transcript
Obviously, Judaism is more than a little gay. But that's just modern Judaism, right? Wrong! Rabbi Steven delivered a delightful drash "Judaism Is Kinda Gay" in honor of Pride exploring three queer Jewish stories at the very heart of our tradition. You can watch it on YouTube or read it on our blog.
Mishkan invites you to our upcoming Pride programming, including a Pre-Shabbat Pride Happy Hour and Pride-Themed Friday Night Shabbat on June 24th. We will also be in the Chicago Pride Parade on June 26th — march with us!
This sermon was originally delivered during the Saturday Morning Shabbat service on June 10th. For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
"I love you / You love me / We're a happy family!"
It's in your head, now. Or, like the endless loop of school shootings on the news night after night, maybe it never left. And perhaps, infuriatingly, this earworm still has something to teach us. In this pre-Shavuot sermon, Rabbi Deena shows us how the texts and themes of the holiday demand that we wake up to America's gun violence epidemic and take decisive action.
Join the Mishkan rabbis and Justice Team this Saturday, June 11th, at the March For Our Lives to address gun violence. You can meet us at the Pre-Rally Shabbat Service.
This sermon was originally delivered during the Saturday Morning Shabbat service on June 4th. For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Transcript
"Whenever truly terrible things happen in the world, I think to myself, 'Maybe I should try being religious.'"
With all of Mishkan's rabbis off duty or under the weather, self-described "fifth string rabbi" Rebecca Stevens steps up to speak from the heart about what it is like to live through this difficult time. God warned us that They would curse us if we didn't follow Their commands. Are we listening yet?
This sermon was originally delivered during the Friday Night Shabbat service on May 27th. For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Transcript
Rabbi Lizzi is joined by Arya Marvazy, the Senior Director of Programs for the Jews of Color Initiative. Arya (he/him) is a first-generation American born to Iranian-Jewish immigrants from Tehran. For nearly 15 years, Arya has cultivated his leadership in Jewish communal service at Hillel on campus, Hillel International, and JQ International. A proud queer Jew, Arya is passionate about empowering diverse Jewish identity, enriching equitable Jewish community, and ensuring inclusive pathways toward Jewish continuity.
Today's episode is sponsored by Broadway In Chicago. Tickets are available now to Fiddler on the Roof at the Cadillac Palace Theatre, from May 17th - 22nd. Use Mishkan's special offer code ROOF45 for $45 Middle Balcony tickets.
This conversation was originally streamed during the Virtual Friday Night Shabbat service on May 20th. For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Transcript
A lot of us are (correctly!) furious about the right-wing attack on our bodily autonomy. In fact, Mishkan is joining the march this Saturday in support of abortion rights. Yet the same Torah and tradition which inspire us to march for reproductive justice also demand that we never harm anyone — not even our enemies, and not even emotionally! So how do we love a neighbor who doesn't return the favor? Rabbi Deena drops the drash.
Today's episode is sponsored by Broadway In Chicago. Tickets are available now to Fiddler on the Roof at the Cadillac Palace Theatre, from May 17th - 22nd. Use Mishkan's special offer code ROOF45 for $45 Middle Balcony tickets.
This message was originally delivered at the Saturday Morning Shabbat service on May 6th. For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
During the Omer, we pray "for the sake of the unification of God." But isn't God already One? Rabbi Lizzi drops some drash.
Today's episode is sponsored by Broadway In Chicago. Tickets are available now to Fiddler on the Roof at the Cadillac Palace Theatre, from May 17th - 22nd. Use Mishkan's special offer code ROOF45 for $45 Middle Balcony tickets.
This message was originally delivered at the virtual Friday Night Shabbat service on April 29th. You can watch it on our YouTube channel. For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Transcript
We've made it through the Narrow Place, but are we fully free, yet? Builder couple Martin Friedman and Felicia Savage Friedman — expert facilitators in racial justice and Raja yoga — join Rabbi Steven for to explore how each of us living authentically is connected to our collective liberation.
Today's episode is sponsored by Broadway In Chicago. Tickets are available now to Fiddler on the Roof at the Cadillac Palace Theatre, from May 17th - 22nd. Use Mishkan's special offer code ROOF45 for $45 Middle Balcony tickets.
This message was originally delivered at the virtual Friday Night Shabbat service on April 22nd. You can watch the whole thing on our YouTube channel. For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Transcript
This message was originally delivered at the Mishkan's virtual seder on April 16th, 2022. You can watch the whole thing on our YouTube channel. Mishkan also invites you to our post-Passover party, The ReLeavening, on Saturday April 23rd at Half Acre Brewing. Yes, there will be pasta. And beer. And burgers. And you?
Today's episode is sponsored by Broadway In Chicago. Tickets to The Prom are available now! Use Mishkan's special offer code PARTY49 for $49 tickets, valid for April 19 and 20 (evening only), and April 21, in the Orchestra, Dress Circle and Loge seating area.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Transcript
Passover is a story about freedom. But what even is freedom? Rabbi Deena breaks it down ahead of Mishkan's virtual Passover seder.
Today's episode is sponsored by Broadway In Chicago. Tickets to The Prom are available now! Use Mishkan's special offer code PARTY49 for $49 tickets, valid for April 19 and 20 (evening only), and April 21, in the Orchestra, Dress Circle and Loge seating area.
This sermon was originally delivered at the Friday Night Shabbat service on April 8th, 2022. You can watch it on our YouTube channel. For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Read the transcript of this sermon on our blog.
Are your spirits getting stale? Is your soul feeling a little overproved? Toss out that chametz and tune into Rabbi Deena's drash on the benefits of a spiritual spring cleaning.
Today's episode is sponsored by Broadway In Chicago. Tickets to The Prom are available now! Use Mishkan's special offer code PARTY49 for $49 tickets, valid for April 19 and 20 (evening only), and April 21, in the Orchestra, Dress Circle and Loge seating area.
This sermon was originally delivered at the Saturday Morning Shabbat service on April 2nd, 2022. You can watch this interview on our YouTube channel. For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Read the transcript of this sermon on our blog.
"I have to be honest, I am sitting with a lot of feelings that are making it hard to lean into the peace of Shabbat."
In the wake of Florida's "Don't Say Gay" bill and Texas Governor Greg Abbott's threats against trans children and their families, Rabbi Steven delivers a passionate drash connecting the oppression of the LGBTQ+ community to the soul-crushing slavery our ancestors were born into which obscured the truth of their identity as bearers of the image of God.
Today's episode is sponsored by Broadway In Chicago. Tickets to The Prom are available now! Use Mishkan's special offer code PARTY49 for $49 tickets, valid for April 19 and 20 (evening only), and April 21, in the Orchestra, Dress Circle and Loge seating area.
This episode is the sermon from Mishkan's Friday service on March 25th. You can watch this interview on our YouTube channel. For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Read the transcript of this sermon on our blog.
What can each of us do to repair the world during this year of Shmita? Rabbi Lizzi welcomes Jakir Manela, CEO of Hazon: The Jewish Lab for Sustainability, for a conversation about how we can create a healthier, more sustainable, and more equitable world for all.
Today's episode is sponsored by Broadway In Chicago. Tickets to The Prom are available now! Use Mishkan's special offer code PARTY49 for $49 tickets, valid for April 19 and 20 (evening only), and April 21, in the Orchestra, Dress Circle and Loge seating area.
This episode is the sermon from Mishkan's Friday night service on March 18th. You can watch this interview on our YouTube channel. For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Transcript
The Shabbat before Purim is Shabbat Zachor — the Shabbat of Remembering. Specifically, we remember the pain inflicted on our people by Amalek, ancestral line of Purim villain Haman (boo!). But why are we commanded to simultaneously remember and forget this traumatic memory? In this drash, Rabbi Lizzi teases out how the story and mitzvot of Purim can inspire us to live with life's contradictions and make blessings out of our pain.
This episode is the sermon from Mishkan's Friday night service on February 25th. For full recordings of Friday services, click here. For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Learn more about Mishkan Chicago. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Transcript
"History may repeat itself, but it doesn't have to. The story isn’t finished, and we get to choose the role we want to play in this unfolding drama."
Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Rabbi Lizzi connects current events to ancient ones, and Rashi’s retelling of the building of the Mishkan to a more modern retelling of a cinematic classic.
This episode is the sermon from Mishkan's Friday night service on February 25th. For full recordings of Friday services, click here. For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Learn more about Mishkan Chicago. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Transcript
"I had a big gap from age 7 until 21 doing anything Jewish — except for coming home and watching Sanford And Son for Yom Kippur."
Jared Jackson shares how his multi-heritage African American and Ashkenazi upbringing led him to found Jews in ALL Hues over a decade ago.
This episode is abbreviated from a conversation during Mishkan's Friday night service on February 18th. For full recordings of Friday services, click here. For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Learn more about Mishkan Chicago. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Transcript
"I don’t think it’s accidental that Whoopi Goldberg, both Black and female, was punished with silence when many people, generally White and male, have said much worse with no consequence. And I am grateful for those who, despite all of this, sought dialogue with her: remembering that conversation, not censure, is what helps us find and act upon our ability to grow."
Rabbi Steven meditates on Whoopi Goldberg's controversial statements in light of Black History Month and Adar.
This episode is a drash given at Mishkan's Friday night service on February 11th. For full recordings of Friday services, click here. For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Learn more about Mishkan Chicago. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Transcript
What is God's love language? Here's a hint: it isn't receiving gifts — at least, not according to Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks. Rabbi Deena explores how God's clear instructions for building the sanctuary can inspire us to ask for the love we need.
This episode is a drash given at Mishkan's Saturday morning service on February 5th. For full recordings of Friday services, click here. For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Learn more about Mishkan Chicago. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Transcript
"...Halfway through the presidency of George W. Bush, I stood on the Washington Mall and I held my sign. It said: Another Jewish woman who loves life and kids for choice."
In a time when abortion access is being restricted under the guise of "religious liberty," Rabbi Lizzi reminds us that our religious tradition upholds the right to choose.
This episode is a drash given at Mishkan's Friday night service on January 28th, as we celebrated Repro Shabbat. Repro Shabbat is an initiative by the National Council of Jewish Women, an opportunity for congregations, organizations, and communities to celebrate the critical importance of reproductive health. For full recordings of Friday services, click here. For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar. Learn more about Mishkan Chicago. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Transcript
Ruben Shimonov is the National Director of Sephardi House and Young Leadership at the American Sephardi Federation. He is also the founder of the Sephardic Mizrahi Q Network, a space for queer Jews of Sephardic and Mizrahi backgrounds, as well as a talented calligrapher whose art reflects his multicultural upbringing. He joined Mishkan's Rabbi Steven fascinating conversation with Rabbi Steven about queer identities, Ashkenormativity, and how Sephardic and Mizrahi communities have contributed to Jewish history and liturgy in often unsung ways.
This episode is an excerpt from our Friday Night Shabbat on January 21st, 2022. For full recordings of Friday services, click here. For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar.
Learn more about Mishkan Chicago. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook.
Be sure to like and subscribe to our podcast for updates on new episodes, and please leave a review. We want to hear from you!
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Transcript
Just as Martin Luther King Jr.'s struggle for voting rights didn't end with the passage of the Voting Rights Act, Moshe's fight for liberation didn't end when the Israelites packed their bags full of Egyptian gold and hit the road. It's a long way to freedom, and boy are Moshe's arms tired!
This episode is Rabbi Deena's sermon from Mishkan's Friday night service on January 14th, 2022. For full recordings of Friday services, click here. For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar.
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Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Transcript
After Pharaoh loses his firstborn son, he finally lets the Israelites leave. But not before asking Moses and Aaron: "Bless me, too." It's a strange little moment — just three words! — so, of course, the rabbis have written pages about it. Their takeaway? Even pharaohs can change.
This episode is an extended excerpt from a Torah study led by Rabbi Steven following the Saturday morning service on January 8th. For full Friday services, click here. For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar.
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Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Transcript
For five weeks, Mishkanites gathered for a discussion-filled study of "Can We Talk About Israel? A Guide for the Curious, Confused, and Conflicted." This thought-provoking book exploring one of the world's most complex, controversial topics was written by Daniel Sokatch of the New Israel Fund. Daniel was kind enough to join Rabbi Lizzi for the following Q&A session to conclude the book study.
For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar. Learn more about Mishkan Chicago. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook.
Be sure to like and subscribe to our podcast for updates on new episodes, and please leave a review. We want to hear from you!
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Transcript
We can't escape death, which doesn't stop us from spending our whole lives trying. Yet in the back of our minds we have this idea that when it's our time to go, we'll be at peace with ourselves and our loved ones, even if we didn't spend our life preparing for the inevitable.
Jacob's deathbed blessings shows us that's not how it works. He died as he lived — pitting brothers against each other over blessings. How can we have faith like Joseph to let go of grudges?
This sermon was from the Friday night service on December 10th. For full Friday services, click here. For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar.
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Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Transcript here
“Don’t smile because it’s over, cry because it happened."
Why do we so often cry after a huge accomplishment? Why does it never feel truly satisfying when a dream comes true? What is honey times 60? Rabbi Deena unpacks Joseph's tears after achieving his lifelong dream.
This sermon was from the Friday night service on December 10th. For full Friday services, click here. For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar.
Learn more about Mishkan Chicago. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook.
Be sure to like and subscribe to our podcast for updates on new episodes, and please leave a review. We want to hear from you!
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Transcript here
What would Judah Maccabee think of the commercialized, semi-assimilated, kid-friendly version of Hanukkah we celebrate today? R'Steven Philp takes us through the history behind our modern Hanukkah traditions.
This sermon was from the Saturday morning service on December 4th. For full Friday services, click here. For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar.
Learn more about Mishkan Chicago. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook.
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Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, written by Kalman Strauss.
In response to the acquittal of Kyle Rittenhouse for killing two activists in supposed self-defense, Rabbi Lizzi Heydemann shares timely wisdom from the Talmud on rodef — self-defense against a pursuer. While the rabbis enshrined the right of self-defense, Jewish tradition also warns against wearing weaponry and looking for a fight. Rabbi Lizzi asks whether the tense reunion of Jacob and Esau in this week's parsha might have ended in tragedy if Jacob had gone into the standoff brandishing weapons.
To watch our full service from Friday, November 19th, click here. Check out upcoming Shabbat services and programs here.
Learn more about Mishkan Chicago. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook.
Be sure to like and subscribe to our podcast for updates on new episodes, and please leave a review. We want to hear from you!
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, written by Kalman Strauss.
This week, we hear from Rabbi Deena about Daylight Savings Time and our relationship with darkness.
To watch our full service from Friday, November 17th, click here. Check out upcoming Shabbat services and programs here.
Learn more about Mishkan Chicago. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook.
Be sure to like and subscribe to our podcast for updates on new episodes! And please leave a review. We want to hear from you.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, written by Kalman Strauss.
This week, we hear from Sarah Bateman, a licensed clinical social worker, a mental health advocate and the Jewish Community Liaison at The Renfrew Center for Eating Disorders.
To watch our full service from Friday, October 29th, click here. Check out upcoming Shabbat services and programs here.
Learn more about Mishkan Chicago. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook.
Be sure to like and subscribe to our podcast for updates on new episodes! And please leave a review. We want to hear from you.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, written by Kalman Strauss.
This week, we hear the live recording of Rabbi Steven Philp's drash from Friday, October 22nd. Tune in for Rabbi Steven's sermon about ghosts, the unexplained, balancing our rational minds and finding value in what we cannot understand.
To watch our full service from Friday, October 22nd, click here. Check out upcoming Shabbat services and programs here.
Learn more about Mishkan Chicago. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook.
Be sure to like and subscribe to our podcast for updates on new episodes! And please leave a review. We want to hear from you.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, written by Kalman Strauss.
This episode concludes a three-part series diving into the High Holidays. In this episode, Rabbi Deena Cowans is in conversation with her friend and mentor, Rabbi Stephanie Ruskay. Rabbi Ruskay has made her career in the Jewish social justice sector, serving in leadership positions at the American Jewish World Service, Auburn Theological Seminary, and AVODAH Jewish Service Corps, just to name a few. She is an alumna of the Jewish Theological Seminary’s and Columbia University’s Joint Program, The Davidson School of Education and JTS The Rabbinical School. She currently serves as the Associate Dean of The Rabbinical School of JTS and the Executive Director of the Hendel Center for Ethics and Justice, where she directs field education and entrepreneurial endeavors that raise the scope, skills and profile of justice work and community organizing for contemporary rabbis.
Join Mishkan Chicago for the High Holidays in-person or via livestream! You can find a smorgasbord of a la carte options at this link: https://www.mishkanchicago.org/high-holy-fest/
As always, you can find out more about Mishkan at MishkanChicago.org or by following us on social media @mishkanchicago.
We continue our three-part series diving into the High Holidays. In this episode, Rabbi Steven Philp, the newest addition to our rabbinic team, is in conversation with his friend and sought-after writer, speaker and deep thinker, Casper ter Kuile. Casper is the author of The Power of Ritual, the co-founder of Sacred Design Lab and the co-creator of podcasts Harry Potter and the Sacred Text and The Real Question. He is a graduate of Harvard Divinity School and Harvard Kennedy School of Government, and his work has been featured in the New York Times, Vice, NPR, Washington Post, on the Today Show, and on and on. Casper speaks and writes on community trends, ritual, and emerging spirituality.
In this conversation, Rabbi Steven and Casper discuss the power of convening in person, and both the potential and pitfalls in digital community gathering in the 21st Century. As we look to the High Holidays, a time of communal atonement and reflection, we hope this conversation leaves you feeling inspired and curious about how to make your New Year experience as meaningful as possible, and start considering now who you might spend it with to make the most of that time.
Join Mishkan Chicago for the High Holidays in-person or via livestream! You can find a smorgasbord of a la carte options at this link: https://www.mishkanchicago.org/high-holy-fest/
As always, you can find out more about Mishkan at MishkanChicago.org or by following us on social media @mishkanchicago.
This episode begins a three-part series diving into the High Holidays. Rabbi Lizzi is joined by Jay Michaelson, a writer who works at the intersection of politics and spirituality, to discuss the power, potential and pitfalls in mining our shared tradition's liturgy, practices and themes.
Join Mishkan Chicago for the High Holidays in-person or via livestream! You can find a smorgasbord of a la carte options at this link: https://www.mishkanchicago.org/high-holy-fest/
As always, you can find out more about Mishkan at MishkanChicago.org or by following us on social media @mishkanchicago.
Tune into this Tisha B'Av-inspired bonus episode featuring Joe Grant and Anna Gaebler — two advocates and organizers working on economic justice in Chicago.
Rabbi Lizzi joins Joe and Anna in conversation about our shared history of destruction and despair, as well as our shared history of hope, determination, the fight for justice and equity. If you're looking for a way to bring Tisha B'Av (the saddest day on the Jewish calendar commemorating the destruction of temples) into the 21st century, this episode is a perfect listen! You'll learn more about the themes of the holiday, as well as economic justice at Mishkan and beyond.
To get involved with the Economic Justice Committee at Mishkan, please contact Joe Grant at joseph.a.grant@gmail.com!
This week, we hear the live recording of Mishkanite Joshua Schwartz's drash from Friday, June 25th. Tune in for Josh's reflection on Torah in relation to Pride, Jewish identity, and finding a spiritual home.
Tune into our full service from Friday, June 25th, click here. Check out upcoming Shabbat services and programs here.
Learn more about Mishkan Chicago. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook.
Be sure to like and subscribe to our podcast for updates on new episodes! And please leave a review. We want to hear from you.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, written by Kalman Strauss.
This week, we hear the live recording of Rabbi Deena's drash from Friday, June 18th. Tune in for her reflection on Torah in relation to Juneteenth.
Tune into our full service from Friday, June 18th, click here. Check out upcoming Shabbat services and programs here.
Learn more about Mishkan Chicago. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook.
Be sure to like and subscribe to our podcast for updates on new episodes! And please leave a review. We want to hear from you.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, written by Kalman Strauss.
This week, we hear the live recording of Rabbi Lizzi's drash from Friday, June 11th. Tune in for her reflection on Torah in relation to Israel and Palestine
Tune into our full service from Friday, June 11th, click here. Check out upcoming Shabbat services and programs here.
Learn more about Mishkan Chicago. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook.
Be sure to like and subscribe to our podcast for updates on new episodes! And please leave a review. We want to hear from you.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, written by Kalman Strauss.
This week, we hear the live recording of Rabbi Deena's drash from Friday, June 4th. Tune in for her reflection on Torah in relation to grief, healing, illness and the way we support our friends and family.
Tune into our full service from Friday, June 4th, click here. Check out upcoming Shabbat services and programs here.
Learn more about Mishkan Chicago. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook.
Be sure to like and subscribe to our podcast for updates on new episodes! And please leave a review. We want to hear from you.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, written by Kalman Strauss.
This week, we hear the live recording of Joel Brounold's dvar Torah from Friday, May 14th. Joel is the Managing Director of the S. Daniel Abraham Center for Middle East Peace. Tune in for his reflection on events happening in Israel and Palestine.
Tune into our full service from Friday, May 14th, click here. Check out upcoming Shabbat services and programs here.
Learn more about Mishkan Chicago. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook.
Be sure to like and subscribe to our podcast for updates on new episodes! And please leave a review. We want to hear from you.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, written by Kalman Strauss.
We are in the 7th, and final week of our Omer series featuring spiritual entrepreneurs, people who are bringing the wisdom of their own lived experience into their professional lives and carving new paths, making unique and much needed impact in the world. This week we dive into Malchut, Kingdom, Kingship.
In this extended episode, Rabbi Lizzi speaks with Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg, the hosts of Judaism Unbound, a renowned and wildly popular podcast in the Jewish podcast universe that analyzes the most pressing and fascinating issues for 21st century American Jews and Judaism.
About Dan Libenson
Dan is the founder and president of the Institute for the Next Jewish Future. He’s been the Executive Director of the University of Chicago Hillel and the Director of New Initiatives at Harvard Hillel. He is a 2009 AVI CHAI Fellow (sort of the Jewish McArthur Fellowship) and has also received the Richard M. Joel Exemplar of Excellence award, Hillel International's highest professional honor. In 2010, he was named a Jewish Chicagoan of the Year by Chicago Jewish News- may its memory be a blessing. He is a Harvard alum, a lawyer, a writer, and a translator of The Orchard, a book by renowned Israeli novelist Yochi Brandes and the translation editor of The Secret Book of Kings by the same author.
About Lex Rofeberg
Lex serves as Strategic Initiatives Coordinator of the Institute for the Next Jewish Future. He is a graduate of Brown University and a writer featured in in JTA, MyJewishLearning, Jewish Currents, Sh'ma Journal, New Voices, among others. He completed a two-year Education Fellowship at the Institute of Southern Jewish Life and joined the Judaism Unbound team in 2015. He has a certificate in Interfaith Family Jewish Engagement from Hebrew College and is ordained as a rabbi by Alliance for Jewish Renewal. Lex is an educator and an activist in Jewish movements for justice, which have included IfNotNow and Never Again Action.
Be sure to subscribe, rate the show and leave a review. As always, we want to hear from you.
And to stay connected, follow Mishkan Chicago on Facebook and Instagram. Learn more about us here!
About Mishkan Chicago
Mishkan is a spiritual community in Chicago reclaiming Judaism’s inspiration and transformative essence. Not bound by a particular location, we create radically inclusive spaces for Jewish spiritual practice and community, engaging, educating, and empowering people across the spectrum of identity, background, age, and belief.
This week, we hear the live recording of Rabbi Lizzi's drash from Friday, May 7th. Tune in for her reflection on Torah in relation to our new pace of life, the coming shmita year, the power in slowing down and taking only what we need.
Tune into our full service from Friday, May 7th, click here. Check out upcoming Shabbat services and programs here.
Learn more about Mishkan Chicago. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook.
Be sure to like and subscribe to our podcast for updates on new episodes! And please leave a review. We want to hear from you.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, written by Kalman Strauss.
We continue a period on the Jewish calendar called the Omer — the 49 days between Passover and Shavuot that our tradition observes through a practice of counting, day by day, week by week. We imbue these days with meaning by assigning a different theme to each week that encourages self-reflection and self-improvement for the betterment of the whole community. In that spirit, we’re doing a series of interviews featuring people who have made their life’s work an extension of their lives’ purpose.
This week, we dive into the sixth theme of the Omer, yesod, or foundation, with Sandra Lawson.
Rabbi Sandra Lawson is a spiritual leader whose work spans multi-media platforms, state lines, and denominations. Known as The TiKTok Rabbi (formerly the Snapchat Rabbi), R'Sandra has spent years building a following through social and digital media like Snapchat, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, Facebook and Youtube. She’s been featured on various podcasts including Judaism Unbound and Tablet Magazine’s Unorthodox, as well as being a host for her own show Minutes of Torah. Rabbi Sandra’s writing has been featured in Times of Israel, Jewish Journal, The Forward, CNN, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, and many other. She is Reconstructing Judaism’s Director of Racial Diversity Equity and Inclusion, and the recent founder of Kol HaPanim, an inclusive Jewish community that is relevant, accessible, rooted in Jewish tradition and centers the leadership of Jews of Color.
Make donation to Kol HaPanim here!
Be sure to subscribe, rate the show and leave a review. As always, we want to hear from you.
And to stay connected, follow Mishkan Chicago on Facebook and Instagram. Learn more about us here!
About Mishkan Chicago
Mishkan is a spiritual community in Chicago reclaiming Judaism’s inspiration and transformative essence. Not bound by a particular location, we create radically inclusive spaces for Jewish spiritual practice and community, engaging, educating, and empowering people across the spectrum of identity, background, age, and belief.
This week, we hear the live recording of Rabbi Lizzi's drash from Friday, April 30th. Tune in for her reflection on Torah in relation to Lag B'Omer, news from Jerusalem, France, and beyond.
Tune into our full service from Friday, April 30th, click here. Check out upcoming Shabbat services and programs here.
Learn more about Mishkan Chicago. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook.
Be sure to like and subscribe to our podcast for updates on new episodes! And please leave a review. We want to hear from you.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, written by Kalman Strauss.
We continue a period on the Jewish calendar called the Omer — the 49 days between Passover and Shavuot that our tradition observes through a practice of counting, day by day, week by week. We imbue these days with meaning by assigning a different theme to each week that encourages self-reflection and self-improvement for the betterment of the whole community. In that spirit, we’re doing a series of interviews featuring people who have made their life’s work an extension of their lives’ purpose.
This week, we dive into the fifth theme of the Omer, hod, or humility, with Alexandra Corwin and Tani Prell — co-founders of Continued Learning Group.
In this episode, Alexandra and Tani join Rabbi Lizzi Heydemann to talk about culturally sustaining pedagogy, identity, and the hard work of unpacking and unlearning white supremacy and racism. Alexandra and Tani bring personal experience as Jews of color, as well as academic and professional expertise to their work and their lives. Tune in for a conversation about humility the power of envisioning a better future for all.
Books referenced in this episode:
All About Love by Bell Hooks
Me & White Supremacy By Layla Saad
So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo
Be sure to subscribe, rate the show and leave a review. As always, we want to hear from you.
And to stay connected, follow Mishkan Chicago on Facebook and Instagram. Learn more about us here!
About Our Guests
Alexandra Corwin (she/her) is a graduate of DePaul University with a Bachelor's in Women's and Gender Studies and African Black Diaspora Studies. She has her Master's in Education from Harvard University, and has vast experience in Jewish children’s education. She is an adjunct instructor in education at The Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, and serves as a board member of Chicago YIVO Society, an organization that centers Yiddish learning for Chicagoans. She is also a Board Member at Mishkan.
Tani Prell (she/her) is the Chicago Director for 18Doors, formerly Interfaith Family, an organization empowering people in interfaith relationships — individuals, couples, families and their children—to engage in Jewish life and make Jewish choices, and encourages Jewish communities to welcome them. Tani is a former high school arts educator, synagogue education director, and fundraiser at the Art Institute of Chicago. She serves on the board of trustees for the Union for Reform Judaism, aiding in their commitments to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and in 2018 she was named one of the Jewish Federation of Chicago’s “36 Under 36.”
About Mishkan Chicago
Mishkan is a spiritual community in Chicago reclaiming Judaism’s inspiration and transformative essence. Not bound by a particular location, we create radically inclusive spaces for Jewish spiritual practice and community, engaging, educating, and empowering people across the spectrum of identity, background, age, and belief.
This week, we hear the live recording of (future Rabbi) Julie Fishbach giving a drash Parashat Achrei Mot-Kedoshim, her decision to go to rabbinical school and a meditation on community.
Tune into our full service from Friday, April 23rd, click here. Check out upcoming Shabbat services and programs here.
Learn more about Mishkan Chicago. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook.
Be sure to like and subscribe to our podcast for updates on new episodes! And please leave a review. We want to hear from you.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, written by Kalman Strauss.
We continue a period on the Jewish calendar called the Omer — the 49 days between Passover and Shavuot that our tradition observes through a practice of counting, day by day, week by week. We imbue these days with meaning by assigning a different theme to each week that encourages self-reflection and self-improvement for the betterment of the whole community. In that spirit, we’re doing a series of interviews featuring people who have made their life’s work an extension of their lives’ purpose.
This week, we dive into the fourth theme of the Omer, netzach, or endurance, with Ilana Gleicher-Bloom.
Ilana is the Vision Director of Mensch Academy at Mishkan. In this episode she joins Rabbi Lizzi Heydemann to talk about her passion for Jewish education, and her desire to do it a little differently at Mishkan. She speaks on the hidden curriculum that informs her work at Mensch Academy and speaks to the power of making children feel heard as they study Torah.
If you have an interest in early childhood education, parenting, radical inclusivity, implicit and explicit learning, then this episode is for you. Get to know the Omer, Ilana, and Mensch Academy in this 30-minute conversation!
Be sure to subscribe, rate the show and leave a review. As always, we want to hear from you.
And to stay connected, follow Mishkan Chicago on Facebook and Instagram. Learn more about us here!
About Our Guest: Ilana Gleicher-Bloom
Ilana Ilana is a graduate of Brandeis University, a Pardes Fellow, and was a member of the inaugural cohort of the Melamdim Teacher Education MA Program at the Shalom Hartman Institute and Tel Aviv University. Before launching Mensch Academy, Ilana taught Talmud and Tanakh at Rochelle Zell Jewish High School in Deerfield, IL, and before that at the Heschel High School in Manhattan. Ilana also taught Judaic Studies at the Alexander Muss High School in Israel, Tichon Ramah Yerushalayim, and the Beit Midrash Program at Camp Ramah in Wisconsin. She is currently pursuing a doctorate in Jewish Education at JTS and received the 2018 Pomegranate Prize from the Covenant Foundation for her work. Ilana is a true visionary who has had an enduring love for Judaism and education.
About Mishkan Chicago
Mishkan is a spiritual community in Chicago reclaiming Judaism’s inspiration and transformative essence. Not bound by a particular location, we create radically inclusive spaces for Jewish spiritual practice and community, engaging, educating, and empowering people across the spectrum of identity, background, age, and belief.
This week, we hear the live recording of Rabbi Deena Cowans' drash about policing in America and what the midrash has to say about police accountability, public safety, and the duty of civil servants.
Tune into our full service from Friday, April 16th, click here. Check out upcoming Shabbat services and programs here.
Learn more about Mishkan Chicago. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook.
Be sure to like and subscribe to our podcast for updates on new episodes! And please leave a review. We want to hear from you.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, written by Kalman Strauss.
Content Warning: This episode briefly addresses sexual assault from minutes 23:00-25:00.
We continue a period on the Jewish calendar called the Omer — the 49 days between Passover and Shavuot that our tradition observes through a practice of counting, day by day, week by week. We imbue these days with meaning by assigning a different theme to each week that encourages self-reflection and self-improvement for the betterment of the whole community. In that spirit, we’re doing a series of interviews featuring people who have made their life’s work an extension of their lives’ purpose.
Two weeks ago, we began with chesed, “kindness” with guest Rena Rosen. Last week, we dove into the second theme of the Omer, gevurah, discipline or strength, with two very special guests: Mark Achler and Harry Gottlieb. And this week, for week three, we have Jo-Ann Finkelstein on the show to talk about gender, psychology, her work creating The Feminist Parent, an online resource for equity-oriented parenting, and more. We also discuss the third theme of the Omer, tiferet, or integration or balance.
Links referenced in the show:
The Feminist Parent Website
The Feminist Parent Instagram
Jo-Ann's Twitter
Jo-Ann's Psychology Today Profile
Jo-Ann's Medium Profile
The NYT article: It’s OK to Watch 'Schitt’s Creek’ With Your Kids
Be sure to subscribe, rate the show and leave a review. As always, we want to hear from you.
And to stay connected, follow Mishkan Chicago on Facebook and Instagram. Learn more about us here!
About Our Guest: Jo-Ann Finkelstein
Jo-Ann is a practicing counselor with a Masters in Human Development and Psychology from Harvard University and a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Northwestern. She’s also a parent who is dedicated to raising inclusive, confident, empathetic and kind people in the face of our culture’s sexist messaging and patriarchal systems. She is a mental health and social justice advocate, and like the other spiritual entrepreneurs featured on this series, has used her professional life and her personal values to launch something completely unique: The Feminist Parent, a website and resource for parents trying to raise kids who know they deserve to reach their full potential (regardless of gender).
About Mishkan Chicago
Mishkan is a spiritual community in Chicago reclaiming Judaism’s inspiration and transformative essence. Not bound by a particular location, we create radically inclusive spaces for Jewish spiritual practice and community, engaging, educating, and empowering people across the spectrum of identity, background, age, and belief.
This week, we hear the live recording of Marni Loffman's drash. As a Challah Back Girls co-founder, TikTok sensation (@singing_jewess), Wesleyan graduate, and all-around great human, Marni offers insight on patience, counting the Omer, our desire for artistic inspiration and magical moments over the mundane logistics of every day life.
Tune into our full service from Friday, April 9th, click here. Check out upcoming Shabbat services and programs here.
Learn more about Mishkan Chicago. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook.
Be sure to like and subscribe to our podcast for updates on new episodes! And please leave a review. We want to hear from you.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, written by Kalman Strauss.
We continue a period on the Jewish calendar called the Omer — the 49 days between Passover and Shavuot that our tradition observes through a practice of counting, day by day, week by week. We imbue these days with meaning by assigning a different theme to each week that encourages self-reflection and self-improvement for the betterment of the whole community. In that spirit, we’re doing a series of interviews featuring people who have made their life’s work an extension of their lives’ purpose.
Last week, we began with chesed, “kindness” with guest Rena Rosen (if you missed it, go back and take a listen). This week, we dive into the second theme of the Omer, gevurah, discipline or strength, with two very special guests: Mark Achler and Harry Gottlieb.
Both of these entrepreneurs have spent decades earning their reputations for creativity, problem solving, innovation but importantly, menchie-ness, in business, and specifically in the tech universe. These guys are both the real deal; they practice what they preach, and they’re not above giving and receiving kind and loving feedback.
Be sure to subscribe, rate the show and leave a review. As always, we want to hear from you.
And to stay connected, follow Mishkan Chicago on Facebook and Instagram. Learn more about us here!
About Our Guests
Mark Achler is Managing Director of MATH Venture Partners. Prior to MATH, Mark was the Senior Vice President of New Business, Strategy and Innovation for Redbox. He is a serial entrepreneur who has co-founded four companies as well being a partner in an earlier venture fund called Kettle Partners. Mark has an undergraduate degree in Social Studies Education from Purdue University and is a frequent speaker, resource and ardent champion for the entrepreneurial community. He also teaches Entrepreneurship at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Business. Finally, full disclosure: Mark is Mishkan’s outgoing Board Chair and is a quiet, behind the scenes, pillar of our community.
Harry Gottlieb is the founder of Jellyvision and Jackbox Games. Specializing in user-experience technology, Harry created a product called ALEX®, which is now used by companies to help millions of employees select medical insurance and other employee benefits in a way that is simple and engaging. In his most recent venture, Unify America, Harry’s goal is nothing short of saving democracy.
About Mishkan Chicago
Mishkan is a spiritual community in Chicago reclaiming Judaism’s inspiration and transformative essence. Not bound by a particular location, we create radically inclusive spaces for Jewish spiritual practice and community, engaging, educating, and empowering people across the spectrum of identity, background, age, and belief.
This week, we hear the live recording of Rabbi Megan GoldMarche's drash from Friday, April 2nd. Tune in for her reflection on Torah in relation to exodus, the departure from Egypt and slavery, and counting the Omer (the count up from Passover to Shavuote).
Tune into our full service from Friday, April 2nd, click here. Check out upcoming Shabbat services and programs here.
Learn more about Mishkan Chicago. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook.
Be sure to like and subscribe to our podcast for updates on new episodes! And please leave a review. We want to hear from you.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, written by Kalman Strauss.
This week, we hear the live recording of Rabbi Lizzi's drash from Friday, March 26th. Tune in for her reflection on Torah in relation to allyship, liberation, Passover, and the modern-day plagues of white supremacy, racism, ableism and sexism.
Tune into our full service from Friday, March 26th, click here. Check out upcoming Shabbat services and programs here.
Learn more about Mishkan Chicago. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook.
Be sure to like and subscribe to our podcast for updates on new episodes! And please leave a review. We want to hear from you.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, written by Kalman Strauss.
This week we begin a period on the Jewish calendar called the Omer — the 49 days between Passover and Shavuot that our tradition observes through a practice of counting, day by day, week by week. We imbue these days with meaning by assigning a different theme to each week that encourages self-reflection and self-improvement for the betterment of the whole community. In that spirit, we’re doing a series of interviews featuring people who have made their life’s work an extension of their lives’ purpose.
The first week's theme is chesed (loving-kindness) and we are kicking off the series with the incredibly inspirational ambassador for kindness herself, Rena Rosen.
Links referenced in the show:
Knit for a Unique Fit
The Courage to Be Kind
Art of Compassion
Be sure to subscribe, rate the show and leave a review. As always, we want to hear from you.
And to stay connected, follow Mishkan Chicago on Facebook and Instagram. Learn more about us here!
About Our Guest:
Rena Rosen is the Inclusion Coordinator for JCC Chicago. She also works as an Early Childhood teacher at Bernard Weinger JCC in Northbrook where she spends her days donning clothes with “Be Kind” emblazoned across the front, teaching kids her life’s mission, which is building kind, inclusive, accepting community. Rena is the founder of Art of Compassion, a platform building a kind, inclusive and accepting community for people of all differences and abilities. As a self-identified kid of the 90s born with craniofacial differences, Rena works from a center of compassion, kindness and courage to bring inclusion into the 21st century. She is the co-author of a children’s book The Courage to Be Kind. And most recently the creator of a Facebook Group Knit for a Unique Fit.
About Mishkan Chicago
Mishkan is a spiritual community in Chicago reclaiming Judaism’s inspiration and transformative essence. Not bound by a particular location, we create radically inclusive spaces for Jewish spiritual practice and community, engaging, educating, and empowering people across the spectrum of identity, background, age, and belief.
This week, we hear the live recording of Rabbi Deena's drash from Friday, March 19th. Tune in for her reflection on Torah in relation to Passover and the need for a new way of being.
Tune into our full service from Friday, March 19th, click here. Check out upcoming Shabbat services and programs here.
Learn more about Mishkan Chicago. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook.
Be sure to like and subscribe to our podcast for updates on new episodes! And please leave a review. We want to hear from you.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, written by Kalman Strauss.
Get prepped for Passover with this BONUS episode for you dear listeners!
Tune in to hear Rabbi Lizzi in conversation with Rabbi Deena for a dive into the ancient art of deep-cleaning your kitchen and the power of doing a spiritual check-in six months after the High Holidays.
Looking for more Torah? Check out Rabbi Deena Cowans' podcast The Morning Scroll offering 3-minute, bite-sized parsha study every week.
Be sure to subscribe, rate the show and leave a review. As always, we want to hear from you. And to stay connected, follow Mishkan Chicago on Facebook and Instagram. Learn more about us here!
This week, we hear the live recording of Rabbi Steven Philp's drash from Friday, March 12th. Tune in for his reflection on Torah in relation idols, the mishkan, Passover and a year of pandemic,
Tune into our full service from Friday, March 12th, click here. Check out upcoming Shabbat services and programs here.
Learn more about Mishkan Chicago. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook.
Be sure to like and subscribe to our podcast for updates on new episodes! And please leave a review. We want to hear from you.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, written by Kalman Strauss.
This week, we hear the live recording of Rabbi Lizzi's drash from Friday, March 5th. Tune in for her reflection on Torah in relation to a year of pandemic.
Tune into our full service from Friday, March 5th, click here. Check out upcoming Shabbat services and programs here.
Learn more about Mishkan Chicago. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook.
Be sure to like and subscribe to our podcast for updates on new episodes! And please leave a review. We want to hear from you.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, written by Kalman Strauss.
This week, we hear the live recording of Rabbi Deena's drash from Friday, February 26th. Tune in for her reflection on Torah in relation to clothing and the power of dressing with intention.
Tune into our full service from Friday, February 26th, click here. Check out upcoming Shabbat services and programs here.
Learn more about Mishkan Chicago. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook.
Be sure to like and subscribe to our podcast for updates on new episodes! And please leave a review. We want to hear from you.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, written by Kalman Strauss.
This week, we hear the live recording of Rabbi Lizzi's drash from Friday, February 19th. Tune in for her reflection on the story of Purim. Before that — Rena Rosen offers a Kavanah on Jewish Disability Awareness & Inclusion Month and Purim!
To join our Purim party on Thursday, February 25th, click here.
Tune into our full service from Friday, February 19th, click here. Check out upcoming Shabbat services and programs here.
Learn more about Mishkan Chicago. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook.
Be sure to like and subscribe to our podcast for updates on new episodes! And please leave a review. We want to hear from you.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, written by Kalman Strauss.
This week, we hear the live recording of Rabbi Deena's drash from Friday, February 12th. Tune in for her reflection on the week's parsha in relation to reproductive health, rights, and justice. In observance of Repro Shabbat and in coalition with the National Council of Jewish Women, R'Deena speaks on the Jewish responsibility to protect reproductive rights, to ensure the access to safe and legal abortions, and to support individuals' choices around pregnancy.
Tune into our full service from Friday, February 12th, click here. Check out upcoming Shabbat services and programs here.
Learn more about Mishkan Chicago. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook.
To support reproductive justice and abortion access, check out Women's Health Center, Midwest Access Project and the work of the National Council of Jewish Women!
Be sure to like and subscribe to our podcast for updates on new episodes! And please leave a review. We want to hear from you.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, written by Kalman Strauss.
This week, we hear the live recording of Rabbi Lizzi's drash from Friday, February 5th. Tune in for her reflection on the week's parsha in relation to anti-racism, listening, soul-accounting, tochocha and the loving invitation to look in the mirror.
Tune into our full service from Friday, February 5th, click here. Check out upcoming Shabbat services and programs here.
Learn more about Mishkan Chicago. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook.
Be sure to like and subscribe to our podcast for updates on new episodes! And please leave a review. We want to hear from you.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, written by Kalman Strauss.
This week, we hear the live recording of Rabbi Deena's drash from Friday, January 29th. Tune in for her reflection on the week's parsha in relation to climate change and climate justice.
Tune into our full service from Friday, January 29th, click here. Check out upcoming Shabbat services and programs here.
Learn more about Mishkan Chicago. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook.
Be sure to like and subscribe to our podcast for updates on new episodes! And please leave a review. We want to hear from you.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, written by Kalman Strauss.
A special Tu Bishvat-inspired episode for you dear listeners!
This episode features Rabbi Lizzi in conversation with Rabbi Yonatan Neril, Founder and Executive Director of the Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development in Jerusalem. In this conversation, Rabbi Lizzi and Rabbi Yonatan consider the spiritual imperative to protect our planet, fight for ecological sustainability, and continue the uphill battle against our climate crisis.
Learn more about Rabbi Yonatan and the Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development. Check out Rabbi Yonatan's book, Eco Bible: A New Environmental Reading of the Hebrew Bible Genesis and Exodus.
Be sure to subscribe, rate the show and leave a review. As always, we want to hear from you. And to stay connected, follow Mishkan Chicago on Facebook and Instagram. Learn more about us here!
This week, we hear the live recording of Rabbi Deena's drash from Friday, January 22nd. Tune in for her reflection on the week's parsha in relation to the inauguration, feeling hope for our country and the bravery of optimism.
Tune into our full service from Friday, January 22nd, click here. Check out upcoming Shabbat services and programs here.
Learn more about Mishkan Chicago. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook.
Be sure to like and subscribe to our podcast for updates on new episodes! And please leave a review. We want to hear from you.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, written by Kalman Strauss.
This week, we hear the live recording of Rabbi Lizzi's drash from Friday, January 8th. Tune in for her reflection on the week's parsha in relation to the insurrection at the Capitol, the historic Georgia runoff elections, and Congressman Jamie Raskin's late son.
Tune into our full service from Friday, January 11th, click here. Check out upcoming Shabbat services and programs here.
Learn more about Mishkan Chicago. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook.
Be sure to like and subscribe to our podcast for updates on new episodes!
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, written by Kalman Strauss.
This week, we hear the live recording of Rabbi Lizzi's drash from Friday, December 25th. Tune in for her reflection on the week's parsha in relation to the pandemic, the release of vaccines, and the hard won lessons from quarantine.
Tune into our full service from Friday, December 25th, click here. Check out upcoming Shabbat services and programs here.
Learn more about Mishkan Chicago. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook.
Be sure to like and subscribe our podcast for updates on new episodes!
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, written by Kalman Strauss.
Pulled from our Friday night services, Shabbat Replay is an opportunity to experience a Mishkan sermon on your own time. This week, we hear the live recording of Rabbi Deena's drash from Friday, December 18th. Tune in for her reflection on bringing our interests and hobbies closer to ritual and spiritual practice.
Tune into our full service from Friday, December 18th, click here. Check out upcoming Shabbat services and programs here.
Learn more about Mishkan Chicago. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook.
Be sure to like and subscribe our podcast for updates on new episodes!
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, written by Kalman Strauss.
Pulled from our Friday night services, Shabbat Replay is an opportunity to experience a Mishkan sermon on your own time. This week, we hear the live recording of Rabbi Deena's drash from Friday, December 11th. Tune in for her reflection on Jacob's dreams, our own hopes for the future, and the power of sharing our wildest thoughts with one another.
Tune into our full service from Friday, December 11th, click here. Check out upcoming Shabbat services and programs here.
Learn more about Mishkan Chicago. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook.
Be sure to like and subscribe our podcast for updates on new episodes!
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, written by Kalman Strauss.
We conclude our Hanukkah podcast series, Lies & Lessons, with Rabbi Shira Stutman from Sixth & I in Washington D.C. In this conversation, Rabbi Lizzi and Rabbi Shira discuss why many Jews have a love-hate relationship to the widely celebrated, and marketed, holiday of Hanukkah. Tune in for a conversation that addresses the complicated historical roots of the holiday, while offering a reminder to grab ahold of joy and the hopeful spirit of the season.
Be sure to subscribe, rate the show and leave a review. As always, we want to hear from you (and it helps people find us!).
Follow Mishkan Chicago on Facebook and Instagram. Learn more about Mishkan Chicago. Learn more about Rabbi Shira and Sixth & I!
Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
This week, we hear the live recording of Shahanna McKinney-Baldon's drash from Friday, December 4th. Tune in for her reflection on the week's parsha in relation to Jewish racial justice work in and outside of our community.
Tune into our full service from Friday, December 4th, click here. Check out upcoming Shabbat services and programs here.
Learn more about Mishkan Chicago and Edot. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook.
Be sure to like and subscribe our podcast for updates on new episodes!
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, written by Kalman Strauss.
We continue our Hanukkah podcast series, Lies & Lessons, with Rabbi Jessica Kate Meyer. In this conversation, Rabbi Lizzi and Rabbi Jessica discuss the lesser known Hanukkah songs, as well as the classics that ring out year after year. As a student of sacred Jewish music from Sephardic and Ashkenazi traditions, and a performer throughout the US and Israel, Rabbi Jessica Kate Meyer offers unique insight and beautiful vocals to this episode. To enjoy the accompanying Hanukkah Mixtape, curated by Rabbi Jessica, click here.
Be sure to subscribe, rate the show and leave a review. As always, we want to hear from you (and it helps people find us!).
Follow Mishkan Chicago on Facebook and Instagram. Learn more about Mishkan Chicago. Learn more about Rabbi Jessica and The Kitchen!
Pulled from our Friday night services, Shabbat Replay is an opportunity to experience a Mishkan sermon on your own time. This week, we hear the live recording of Rabbi Lizzi's drash from Friday, November 27th. Tune in for her reflection on the week's parsha in relation to Thanksgiving, Indigenous displacement, and our responsibility to name where we stand and who we live alongside.
Tune into our full service from Friday, November 27th, click here. Check out upcoming Shabbat services and programs here.
Learn more about Mishkan Chicago. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook.
Be sure to like and subscribe our podcast for updates on new episodes!
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, written by Kalman Strauss.
Pulled from our Friday night services, Shabbat Replay is an opportunity to experience a Mishkan sermon on your own time. This week, we hear the live recording of Rabbi Lizzi's drash from Friday, November 13th. Tune in for her reflection on the week's parsha in relation to Israel, Palestine, and the potential of a talmudic approach to finding your voice in the conversation.
Tune into our full service from Friday November 13th, click here.
Check out upcoming Shabbat services and programs here.
Learn more about Mishkan Chicago. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook.
Be sure to like and subscribe our podcast for updates on new episodes!
We begin our Hanukkah podcast series, Lies & Lessons, with Rabbi Amichai Lau-Lavie. In this conversation, Rabbi Lizzi and Rabbi Amichai consider the mythology, the liturgy, the symbolism and the history of the Hanukkah lights.
Be sure to subscribe, rate the show and leave a review. As always, we want to hear from you.
Follow Mishkan Chicago on Facebook and Instagram. Learn more about Mishkan Chicago. Learn more about Rabbi Amichai and Lab/Shul NYC.
Pulled from our Friday night services, Shabbat Replay is an opportunity to experience a Mishkan sermon on your own time. This week, we hear the live recording of Rabbi Lizzi's drash from Friday, November 6th. Tune in for her reflection on the week's parsha in relation to election anxiety, the division we face as a country, and the hope for a brighter future.
Tune into our full service from Friday November 6th, click here.
Check out upcoming Shabbat services and programs here.
Learn more about Mishkan Chicago. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook.
Be sure to like and subscribe our podcast for updates on new episodes!
*Special Sukkot Episode*
Whether you're doing dishes, taking a walk, or sitting in a park, this self-guided meditation offers a chance to get grounded during Sukkot. Also known as the Feast of Tabernacles and "z’man sim-cha-teinu," the time of our joy, Sukkot is a celebration of abundance and a reminder to stay grounded even in changing circumstances.
Listen, subscribe and leave a review!
For more information about Mishkan Chicago, visit MishkanChicago.org, and be sure to follow us on Instagram and Facebook!
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Produced by Mishkan Chicago
Music by Cellophane Sam
What does it mean to reimagine and reconsider ancient Jewish traditions? How can a lens of "otherness" uncover new or forgotten meaning in familiar texts?
To close out our three-part series about Tisha B'Av, Rabbi Lizzi speaks with Rabbi Benay Lappe, the founder and Rosh Yeshiva of SVARA, a traditionally radical yeshiva dedicated to the study of Talmud through the lens of queer experience. In this conversation, R'Lizzi and R'Benay discuss the shortcomings of tradition and the opportunity of new spiritual practices.
To learn more about Rabbi Benay Lappe's work, check out her now iconic Eli Talk "An Unrecognizable Jewish Future: A Queer Talmudic Take."
Join R'Lizzi in conversation with Jonathan Brooks, or "Pastah J" the Senior Pastor at West Englewood's Canaan Community Church, as they discuss falling in love with exile, tikkun olam, and what it takes to become part of a movement instead of just a moment. Pastah J is a faith leader, an activist, a musician, an entrepreneur, a husband and father. You can read his recent book, or learn more about his work on his website.
The second in our three-part series leading up to Tisha B'Av, this conversation touches on historical and present day destruction, trauma, and the promise of a world one day pieced back together.
When a person, a community, or a nation face rock bottom, how do they rebuild, if at all? The upcoming Jewish holiday of Tisha B'Av offers a spiritual starting place for this timely question. Join Rabbi Lizzi in conversation with Reverend Lola Wright as they consider personal responsibility, coronavirus and the fight for civil rights — as well as the potential of "this now moment."
You can learn more about Lola through her website, or by checking out her new seven-week course, Normal White People, that asks participants to uncover biases and shift habituated patterns around race from drama to curiosity.
Contact Chai with Rabbi Lizzi is a new podcast from Mishkan Chicago that explores Jewish ideas in unlikely places with fascinating people. In this episode, Rabbi Lizzi and guest continue the conversation on endurance and healing through the lenses of Judaism and affective psychotherapy.
Contact Chai with Rabbi Lizzi is a new podcast from Mishkan Chicago that explores Jewish ideas in unlikely places with fascinating people, many of whom happen to be part of Mishkan's community. In this episode, join Rabbi Lizzi to explore how we can connect the science of resilience, healing and change with our Seder experience and the Season of Passover.
