Contact Chai

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://mishkan.shulcloud.com/form/reg-morning-minyan-evergreen

Become A Builder!
https://www.mishkanchicago.org/support/be-a-builder/

Transcript

Today’s episode is a Shabbat Replay of our service on Friday, June 13th, when Rabbi Lizzi spoke about our ancestors’ harrowing experiences as they navigated the wilderness. How can learn from their wisdom and failure as we chart a course through our own uncertain time?

Pride Shabbat is nearly here! We hope you will join us next Friday, June 27th, in Northcenter Town Square at 6:30 pm for a glitzy, glamorous service complete with a temporary tattoo and glitter station to get into the Pride spirit, and followed by ice cream and snacks catered by Schmaltz & Vinegar. Will we see you there?

https://www.mishkanchicago.org/event/friday-night-shabbat-062725/

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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. To support Mishkan's important work of creating radically inclusive, down-to-earth, inspired Judaism, we invite you to join as a Builder or donate today.

Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.

Transcript

Today’s episode is a Shabbat Replay of our Saturday morning service on June 7th, when Rabbi Steven delivered a drash on how we can productively respond to violent antisemitism. Dwelling on our fear and succumbing to paranoia may not be a healthy reaction to hatred and violence, but there is no point in pretending that we are not afraid right now. So how can we live out God’s call to be a blessing, especially when we are scared?

Mishkan’s New Arrivals Support Team is holding a Food & Supplies Drive at our service this Friday, June 13th. Help us welcome migrant families to our city by bringing these items: We are looking for: 2lb bags of oatmeal, 64oz bottles of cooking oil (or smaller), chicken noodle soup 10.5 oz (with pop tabs preferred), brand new women’s and men’s underwear (sizes small and medium most requested), and wet cat food. Bring your supplies to Northcenter Town Square this Friday before services which begin at 6:30 pm.

https://www.mishkanchicago.org/event/friday-night-shabbat-061325/

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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. To support Mishkan's important work of creating radically inclusive, down-to-earth, inspired Judaism, we invite you to join as a Builder or donate today.

Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.

Transcript

Andrew Rehfeld, President & Professor of Political Thought of Hebrew Union College, presents his findings on the state of American Judaism. Are seminaries in crisis? What can be done about the shortage of rabbis?

View From The Top: A Discussion Series w/ Rabbi Lizzi
Rabbis are on the front lines of leading communities, speaking out for moral clarity and Jewish values, and representing Jews in multi-faith spaces. But there is a rabbinic pipieline problem in the world outside of Orthodoxy, and this moment in American Jewish history has been called “the end of the Golden Age of Judaism in America.” Are we headed for a renaissance of American Judaism or a decline? Join Rabbi Lizzi for a series with the heads of different rabbinical seminaries training the next generation of Jewish leaders, on what they’re seeing from where they sit — what challenges and opportunities, and where they see American Judaism headed.

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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. To support Mishkan's important work of creating radically inclusive, down-to-earth, inspired Judaism, we invite you to join as a Builder or donate today.

https://www.mishkanchicago.org/support/be-a-builder/

https://www.mishkanchicago.org/support/makeyourgift/

Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.

Transcript

Today’s episode is a Shabbat Replay from our Shavuot Shabbat service on May 30th. Caroline Miller, a Davening Team member, lay leader, and BluePrint class conversion graduate delivered a sermon about her experience rediscovering herself in Jewish community after years in a personal wilderness.

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. To support Mishkan's important work of creating radically inclusive, down-to-earth, inspired Judaism, we invite you to join as a Builder or donate today.

https://www.mishkanchicago.org/support/be-a-builder/

https://www.mishkanchicago.org/support/makeyourgift/

Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.

Transcript

Join Rabbi Lizzi and Rabbi Deborah Waxman, President and CEO of Reconstructing Judaism, for a conversation about the state of American Judaism and the boldness and "Holy Chutzpah" in Reconstructing Judaism

View From The Top: A Discussion Series w/ Rabbi Lizzi
Rabbis are on the front lines of leading communities, speaking out for moral clarity and Jewish values, and representing Jews in multi-faith spaces. But there is a rabbinic pipieline problem in the world outside of Orthodoxy, and this moment in American Jewish history has been called “the end of the Golden Age of Judaism in America.” Are we headed for a renaissance of American Judaism or a decline? Join Rabbi Lizzi for a series with the heads of different rabbinical seminaries training the next generation of Jewish leaders, on what they’re seeing from where they sit — what challenges and opportunities, and where they see American Judaism headed.

Two essays on chosenness: https://www.bjpa.org/content/upload/bjpa/c__c/Waxman%20Fuchs-Kreimer%20Chosen%20People.pdf

A talk on divine justice that R' Waxman gave at the Chautauqua Institute in 2019: https://www.reconstructingjudaism.org/article/divine-justice-jewish-perspective/

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. To support Mishkan's important work of creating radically inclusive, down-to-earth, inspired Judaism, we invite you to join as a Builder or donate today.

https://www.mishkanchicago.org/support/be-a-builder/

https://www.mishkanchicago.org/support/makeyourgift/

Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.

Transcript

In this inaugural episode of a new interview series titled "The View From The Top," Rabbi Lizzi spoke with Rabbi Dr. Bradley Shavit Artson about his perspective on the state of the present and future of American Judaism.

R'Artson (www.bradartson.com) holds the Abner and Roslyn Goldstine Dean's Chair of the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies and is Vice President of American Jewish University in Los Angeles. Rabbi Artson has long been a passionate advocate for social justice, human dignity, diversity and inclusion. He wrote a book on Jewish teachings on war, peace and nuclear annihilation in the late 80s, became a leading voice advocating for GLBT marriage and ordination in the 90s, and has published and spoken widely on environmental ethics, special needs inclusion, racial and economic justice, cultural and religious dialogue and cooperation, and working for a just and secure peace for Israel and the Middle East. A member of the Philosophy Department, he is particularly interested in theology, ethics, and the integration of science and religion. He is also Rabbinic Leader of the Abraham Joshua Heschel Seminary in Potsdam, Germany, ordaining Conservative rabbis for Europe. A frequent contributor for the Times of Israel,  and a Contributing Writer for the Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles, he has a public figure Facebook page with over 93,000 likes. Rabbi Artson is the author of 12 books and over 250 articles. He is currently completing a new book, Wells of Wisdom: Ancient Insight to Thrive.

https://www.aju.edu/ziegler-school-rabbinic-studies

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. To support Mishkan's important work of creating radically inclusive, down-to-earth, inspired Judaism, we invite you to join as a Builder or donate today.

https://www.mishkanchicago.org/support/be-a-builder/

https://www.mishkanchicago.org/support/makeyourgift/

Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.

Transcript

Today’s episode is a Shabbat Replay of our Virtual Friday Night service on May 16th. Rabbi Lizzi was joined by Rabbi Adi Romem, one of the first female rabbis ordained by the Hartman Institute for Israeli rabbis. Together, they discussed blasphemy, in the Torah portion and in politics.

Mark your calendars for our Pre-Shavuot Shabbat Pizza Picnic at Northcenter Town Square on May 30th featuring, pizza, lawn games, an ice cream truck, and a performance by the Teen Davening Team. Register now to enjoy all that dairy goodness in community. 

https://www.mishkanchicago.org/event/shavuot-shabbat-pizza-picnic-ft-teen-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. To support Mishkan's important work of creating radically inclusive, down-to-earth, inspired Judaism, we invite you to join as a Builder or donate today.

https://www.mishkanchicago.org/support/be-a-builder/

https://www.mishkanchicago.org/support/makeyourgift/

Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.

Transcript

"My response to trauma has to be to see everyone as human." 

Rabbi Lizzi spoke with Alice Miller, the CEO of Natan Worldwide Disaster Relief, an Israeli organization providing all-volunteer medical, dental, and humanitarian support all over the world. Their conversation was wide-ranging, fascinating, and surprising. 

Learn more about NATAN and support their work at https://natanrelief.org/donate/ 

Anyone interested in learning even more about Natan should contact Alan at [email protected]

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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. To support Mishkan's important work of creating radically inclusive, down-to-earth, inspired Judaism, we invite you to join as a Builder or donate today.

https://www.mishkanchicago.org/support/be-a-builder/

https://www.mishkanchicago.org/support/makeyourgift/

Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.

Transcript

Today's episode is a Shabbat Replay of our service on Friday, May 30th. Rabbi Steven delivered a passionate, vulnerable sermon on how it can feel to be Jewish in public at times — unwelcome and misunderstood. How can we boldly show up as our whole selves when even progressive interfaith spaces can sometimes harbor real, if less explicit, antisemitism?

Mark your calendars for our Pre-Shavuot Shabbat Pizza Picnic at Northcenter Town Square on May 30th featuring, pizza, lawn games, an ice cream truck, and a performance by the Teen Davening Team. Register now to enjoy all that dairy goodness in community. 

https://www.mishkanchicago.org/event/shavuot-shabbat-pizza-picnic-ft-teen-davening-team/