Are Individuality and Love Compatible

In a year filled with uncertainties — caused by the current pandemic and social upheavals — we now have another unknown on our hands: the results of a bitterly fought presidential election. After months of a nasty and polarizing campaign, exacerbated by partisan media, we all hoped that we finally would arrive at some resolution, if not peace of mind, with the election night results declaring a clearly defined winner. But no. We have not been allowed even this one brief reprieve. We don’t even know when we will know who the next president will be. And even when the winner will be announced, how will that impact our country and the world? What is going on? How do we explain the unknowns piling up one after another? Just nine months ago life seemed to be sailing along relatively smoothly, traveling on a pretty reliable trajectory. Our schedules and plans were in place; our institutions were stable (with the usual ups and downs of the ebb and flow). But then Covid-19 and its collateral impact disrupting every segment of society, with no clear path ahead. Doubt and uncertainty are very unsettling and disconcerting. They unnerve us and undermine our sense of security. How can we find some balance and equilibrium amidst today’s chaos and confusion? Please join Rabbi Jacobson in this timely and relevant post-election talk and learn how to look at the unknowns of our lives with a new bird’s eye view perspective. Discover how to use disruption and unpredictability as a springboard to forge a visionary path into the future.

6 Marras 202036min

Many battles sadly become an end in themselves, and drag on with no true winner. This can be due to a conflict losing sight of its initial objectives, or never having healthy objectives in the first place. Consider certain ugly litigation or divorce proceedings. At some point, these fights become trapped and entangled in emotional extremes with the only obvious winners being the high paid attorneys... It may not be the first time, but the 2020 presidential election seems particularly nasty and distasteful. Just listen to the comments of representatives of both parties, and of pundits on dueling media platforms. It's like two different universes. You would think that life is all black or white, good or evil, you're either totally right or totally wrong -- with absolutely no room for nuances, subtleties and the grey areas that define true life. Is it even possible that each side has some legitimate argument? When following current events -- hyped up by biased media on all ends -- many of us feel defiled and frankly, even violated. It's tempting to ask: If others want to fight "bloody" battles like wrestling gladiators, why do we need to be part of this spectacle? What true difference will the outcome have on our personal lives? What long-term collateral damage will all this acrimony create? Please join Rabbi Jacobson in this refreshing discussion and discover ways to rise above the fray and ensure that no matter who wins the election, you and your family and friends come out as winners.

29 Loka 202045min

What will the next few months bring? When will the pandemic and its effects come to an end? What long term impact will they have on our lives? Where are we headed? Our future has always been uncertain, but never has it been felt more than now. Among our many challenges today, uncertainty is perhaps the most debilitating one. And the conflicting messages inundating us from all directions only adds to the confusion. All the doubts and unknowns are very disconcerting. The conventional "responses" to coping with uncertainty are either 1) denial and escapism, burying your head in the sand and ignoring the unknowns, 2) retreating in fear, remaining stuck, to the point of paralysis, or 3) seeking (sometimes desperately) unrealistic magical solutions, crystal ball gazers, fortune tellers or psychics to help foretell the future. Please join Rabbi Jacobson as he offers a 4125 year-old, time-tested formula for riding through the waves of uncertainty. Discover surprisingly simple methods and tools to build an "ark" that can protect and carry you -- and even help you grow -- when faced with the raging floodwaters of the unknown. Learn how to look at uncertainty in the face (without denial, retreat or fantasy) and not only not be overwhelmed, but come out stronger than ever.

23 Loka 202041min

What feelings are evoked when you hear the word "vulnerability"? For many vulnerability is associated with being weak, powerless, fragile, defenseless, exposed. Does vulnerability make you feel threatened? That would seem to indicate that being vulnerable is hardly an optimal state. Indeed, in a hostile and dangerous world, driven by the survival of the fittest, it would make sense that vulnerability is a liability.. But is that true? Is there anything positive about vulnerability? Would you be surprised to learn that vulnerability is actually -- and counter intuitively -- the secret to indestructibility? Please join Rabbi Jacobson in a discussion that will upend your entire view on security, resilience and lasting strength. Discover an alternative way of looking at life; how your essential nature, and the very nature of existence, is a place that should not frighten us, a place where vulnerability should not be feared. Quite the contrary: It should be embraced and celebrated. And by doing so, learn how vulnerability becomes the source of invincibility.

1 Loka 202048min

Did you ever wonder what your core would look like if you were stripped of all the outer layers, projections, defense mechanisms and armor acquired through your life experiences? We are all shaped by the attitudes and influences of our parents, educators and peers, as well as by society and the media at large. Life's demands on us, coupled with other people's expectations of us, further define our choices and behaviors. With all these forces impacting and imposing themselves upon us, can you cut through the shrouds that often conceal what lies within, and discover the "real" you? The inner you? Please join Rabbi Jacobson in this not-to-be-missed pre-Yom Kippur program, including a special Yizkor memorial service, honoring and immortalizing the souls of our loved ones. Learn about the five dimensions of your soul, and how you can usually access three conscious levels -- the behavioral, the emotional and the cognitive -- but on one unique day of the year you have the ability to reach and actualize your very essence. Find out how you can indeed transcend your past and discover yourself like never before.

24 Syys 202052min

A year like this does not come very often. Disruption on every front. Health. Economic. Political. Leadership. Travel. Leisure. Uncertainty hanging over us like a dark cloud. Tentativeness in the air. What will the fall bring? What will the future be like? Please join Rabbi Jacobson in this special pre-Rosh Hashana talk offering powerful lessons and tools to face our current challenges. What will the new year bring? As we approach the New Year, discover how it provides us with a new perspective on today's events, and how our experiences during the past months can guide and empower us in forging a new reality.

17 Syys 202040min

In dealing with our current crisis, virtually all discussions are about masks, social distancing, the search for a vaccine, economic relief programs, opening or closing of our cities, business and schools, and so on. While all these are vital, they can be summed up as defensive measures. Damage control. Attempts to put out or minimize the burning fires. Are there any offensive measures that we can take? Can we become proactive instead of reactive? Please join Rabbi Jacobson as he proposes ways to become proactive and take the initiative in leading your life and the life of those around you to a greater place. Discover a secret antidote to upheaval and disruption -- tools that can help you take complete control over your attitude and behavior even when events around us are not in our control. How you can find inner certainty and direction even in uncertain times.

10 Syys 202045min

God. That three letter word is fraught with more opinions, definitions, disagreements and implications than perhaps any other word we know. Much of the world and its nations have been shaped by religion and faith. Wars have been fought, people have been discriminated against and killed in the name of God or against God. Battles continue to rage until this very day about the existence of God and His role in out lives. This includes the battles between reason and faith, science and religion. There is virtually no area in life where God does not come into the picture, and where we cannot find a consensus. We can't even agree whether G-d's existence can be proven. Please join Rabbi Jacobson in this engaging talk as he challenges us to ask the biggest question of all: before we try to prove God's existence we must first establish: How do we define God? What is considered to be legitimate proof? What role do our subjective life experiences play in our attitude to God, for good or for bad? How do our prejudices, biases and preconceived notions and stereotypes impact the way we look at God. Discover a fresh new way to look at the oldest and most fundamental topic of all: God.

3 Syys 202048min