How to Raise Happy Children: What is the Nature of a Child?

We usually associate great power with sheer size and strength. A while back the strongest army was the one with the most military personnel and the largest weapons and arsenal. But as science has increasingly demonstrated, it's not quantity but quality that wields the greatest potency. The splitting of a microscopic atom can deliver far more energy than the largest weapon. Same with the human body: The most powerful forces in our organisms are contained in the tiniest forms in nature -- cells, chromosomes, DNA. How does this play itself out in our personal lives? What can we learn from the power of the minute that can enhance our lives and relationships? Please join Rabbi Jacobson for a fascinating talk on the awesome power of one moment to change your life. We need not wait for dramatic fireworks or elaborate schemes to create revolution. Every second of our lives, every move we make, every step we take, every fiber of our beings, contains enormous potential to reshape destiny and t

9 Aug 201855min

Do you consider yourself ordinary? Who would you describe as being extraordinary? What defines a hero? Who are the people you admire most? Are they also your role models? What are our criteria for greatness? The standards for excellence in our modern culture are quite confusing. The idols we worship today -- superstars in sports, Hollywood, TV and all our other cultural symbols -- deeply skew and distort reality. How can anyone growing up in today's society have a clear headed view on true value and worth when the greatest premium is placed on celebrity hood, wealth, power and influence? When looks and pizzazz eclipse substance and character, how can an impressionable child ever hope to value the simple beauty of the "ordinary" person and the power of innocence and unadorned beauty? In the shadow of fantasy stars of celluloid and gold, no wonder so many of us consider ourselves ordinary, plain and unexciting.

2 Aug 201844min

Some of life's greatest lessons can be derived from the cosmos. We can learn much just from just looking up at the heavens and seeing the celestial bodies in space. This is especially true of the moon, which continues to mesmerize the human race. Its close proximity to earth, its haunting glow, its phases and effects on our tides and plants -- have, and continue to feed romance, science, religion and folklore, and our quest to better understand ourselves and the world in which we live. During the night of the full moon this month (on July 27/the 15th of Av) the longest total lunar eclipse of the century will fill the sky (it won't be visible in North America, but most of the Eastern Hemisphere will see it). Totality will last for 1 hour and 43 minutes! Please join Rabbi Jacobson for this special full moon edition, and learn fascinating lessons from this historic phenomenon. Discover the deeper meaning of the moon as an archetype reflected in each one of us, and how the lunar cycles

26 Jul 201850min

Fear is one of the most debilitating -- and invisible -- forces that we need to contend with in life. How does one find courage to face fear? It seems like a catch-22 situation: Fear is the antithesis of courage. If you have fear, how can you muster up courage to fight fear; and if you have courage, then you have no need to fear the fear. Is there a way our of this quagmire? All this gets more complicated when you take into consideration your being comfortable with your routines and habitual traps. Your comfort zone coupled with your fears create a formidable resistance to facing challenges and being proactive in finding solutions. Is there hope? Please join Rabbi Jacobson, in this pre-Tisha B'Av talk, and learn how to enter into the dark abyss where our fears reside, and into the crevices where our comfort zones hold us hostage, and come away with greater strength than ever. Fear and habits contain enormous energy -- but that energy is imploded and inverted, entangling us in their c

19 Jul 201857min

Why is it that we an't seem to free ourselves of our pasts even when we determine to proceed on with our lives? What is it about the past that keeps us down and even trapped? Why can't we just shake off previous experiences and move forward? In this powerful class Rabbi Jacobson uncovers the mysterious power of inertia created by our pasts, and teaches us how to loosen its hold. Learn how to unclog blocks that imprison your psyche -- and release the enormous energy within, allowing you to build a bright new future, with beautiful new possibilities, unhaunted by the ghosts of yesterday.

17 Jul 201856min

Independence Day seems to be a good time to take stock of your own state of independence. Do you feel free or do you feel subjugated to forces controlling your life -- your job, expectations of others, your inner fears? Is your spirit light and soaring like a bird, or are you weighed down and drained? Perhaps this compels us to ask the bigger question: What actually is true independence? Is it a physical state -- as in not being confined to a dungeon, or is it an emotional and psychological state? What can we do to experience and grow our independence? How can we become freed from our trappings? Please join Rabbi Jacobson on this July 4th special, and learn how to honestly evaluate your state of independence and your capacity to free yourself of the shackles (within and without) that hold you down. Whether you are dependent, co-dependent or in-dependent you will discover news ways that empower you to take wing and fly to unprecedented heights.

5 Jul 201852min

Integrity is a critical component in virtually every aspect of existence. From infrastructures to relationships, from nature to medicine, from education to leadership - when integrity is compromised the entire entity is jeopardized. Integrity engenders trust and builds confidence and stability. Nothing, frankly, can be relied upon if their is no integrity. And yet, most of us can agree that we live in times when integrity is in crisis. What impact does this have on our psyches and societies? What can we do to restore integrity? The first step in addressing all problems is awareness -- realizing the vital importance of integrity, identifying the problem, understanding its consequences and implications and finding solutions. Please join Rabbi Jacobson in this candid talk, shining a light on ourselves, on our values and on our current social standards -- asking the big question: Why is integrity so rare of a commodity today? Do we appreciate its value and power? And how can we rebuild

28 Jun 201849min

With high profile celebrity suicides in recent news, this painfully tragic issue has returned to the fore. Perhaps the single most dreaded and shame-filled act, suicide remains one of the darkest deeply hidden secrets in a family's life. Citing statistics about something so alarming, seems callous and insensitive, yet this unfortunate data can hopefully serve to propel us to action with increased and focused urgency. Facing the devastating facts, that 45,000 people die by suicide each year - and that's only in the USA - should open our eyes and hearts to be more vigilant to the signs of those who are at risk. The annual age-adjusted suicide rate is 13.42 per 100,000 individuals... And this does not even touch upon attempted suicides. What can we do to stem this tide? What can we do or say to someone with suicidal thoughts or words? How can we help a family member or friend in need? Please join Rabbi Simon Jacobson as he addresses this most distressing issue from both a practical and

21 Jun 201859min