How to Create a Bright Future Unhaunted by the Past

Glaringly missing from all the controversy and debate raging around now Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s contentious confirmation hearings is the underlying issue that lays at the heart of the matter: Sexuality. Or in legal terms: Roe vs. Wade - the 1973 landmark Supreme Court decision that established a woman's constitutional legal right to an abortion. In a twist of irony, the last-minute bombshell accusation that almost torpedoed Kavanaugh’s nomination was also about sexuality: his alleged sexual attack on Dr. Christine Blasey Ford. Beyond the story of extreme partisan politics, beyond the story of the Trump Presidency and age of disruption, beyond every imaginable angle covered by every media outlet, the true inside story – the root of the issue at hand, beyond all the symptoms – is our attitudes toward sexuality and relationships. We live in times where sexuality has become divorced of intimacy and commitment. It is looked at as a personal right to pleasure and leisure, not as a personal and social responsibility. “Sexual freedom” – the right to engage in sexuality as one sees fit, without consequences or commitment if one so deems fit — trumps the effort and work needed to build healthy and enduring relationships and families. The right to an abortion (not due to rape or other extenuating circumstances) has become equated with sexual freedom; it has become associated with the voice and battle cry for women’s rights and emancipation. This of course serves men’s interests as well – being able to engage in physical relations without consequences. Had our society considered sexuality as sacred, and seen sexual relationships as part of a serious commitment and intimate connection between soulmates, one can wonder if there would be both less motivation to choose abortion and less incidences of sexual assault. How much our politics and our political positions are affected by sexuality and the perceived freedoms around it? In this charged climate and paralyzing polarization, Rabbi Jacobson will address the state of sexuality in our times, and how it impacts virtually every aspect of our lives. What is sexuality? How is it different than intimacy? What can we do to build healthier and sustainable relationships? How can an improved attitude to sexuality free us from being trapped in a political vortex and help broaden our horizons? After all that has been said and written about the Senate’s confirmation proceedings, discover, in this refreshing and groundbreaking talk, a new perspective that will shed light on the core issues and its relevance to our lives.

11 Okt 201849min

Balance is the healthiest and most coveted approach to life and the challenges we encounter. Extremes usually lead to undesired consequences. When we act desperately, without disciplined composure and presence of mind, we usually make mistakes and go too far in one direction or another. Yet there are times when extreme measures are warranted. How does one determine when to exercise an extreme approach and when not to? Please join Rabbi Jacobson in this special High Holidays talk which addresses healthy ways and methods of introspection and soul searching, without going to extremes. Everyone faces situations which may require stronger than usual responses. Discover how to navigate your life knowing when to stay the course and when to veer sharply left or right.

14 Sep 201859min

We all want a good life. But what does "good" mean? Does it signify anything more than a platitude? The traditional New Year greeting is to be blessed with a "good and sweet year." What is the difference between "good" and "sweet'? Why are these specific terms used? Please join Rabbi Jacobson is this pre-Rosh Hashana talk and discover how the two dimensions of "good and sweet" capture the primary thing we are all looking for: A year of abundance and blessings in all matters, material and spiritual, all in good health. A year of life and joy, filled with nachas (pride and gratification) from yourself, your family and your children. A year of having the humility and gratitude to appreciate your gifts, and the strength and courage to face your challenges. Learn what you can do to help manifest a good and sweet year, allowing you to actualize your greatest potential and build healthy and successful relationships.

7 Sep 201848min

How high can we reach and how do we reach there? These two questions lie at heart of life's "big" questions. Some argue that we mortals are quite limited and cannot reach very far. Others add that even if you were able to reach to the stars, you wouldn't know how to or you wouldn't be able to find a vehicle that can take you there. These perspectives hardly leave us with much hope to discover great vistas. No wonder many of us give up before even trying. Enter two great mystics who taught us both the what and the how of transcendence: that we can indeed reach the sky and beyond, and the tools how we can achieve that. Please join Rabbi Jacobson on this special day, Chai Elul, the birthday of these two great luminaries, who provided us with the ladder to climb to the greatest heights and with the method how to climb. You will not want to miss this presentation, which illuminates the Kabbalah of you -- the two primary dimensions in your spiritual DNA, that allows you to see yourself in

31 Aug 201849min

How many of today's marriages are healthy and successful? What even defines success in marriage? Is it simply two people getting along, or is there more to it? While failed marriages can be difficult to measure, current statistics show up to a 50% divorce rate. And that does not take into account dysfunctional marriages and emotionally divorced couples who remain only technically married. So we are left with the million dollar question, which is asked again and again: Can we build a marriage that defies the odds? Is there a formula for a healthy and successful marriage? Please join Rabbi Jacobson as he tackles, in his unique way, this formidable challenge. Take a journey into the heart and soul of love and relationships, and above all -- into the inner obstacles and demons that block and blind you from finding and holding on to your soulmate. Yes, you can be, unbeknownst to you, your own worst enemy, acting in ways that undermine your own happiness. Learn methods to identify and neu

17 Aug 201856min

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 Juli 201850min