From Mortality to Immortality: The Soul’s Ongoing Story

Do you ever feel like your life is fragmented, composed of so many disjointed pieces, and lacking a common thread connecting them all? These disconnects begin to accumulate and in time become overwhelming as they tug at you and your psyche, pulling you in so many directions. Is there more to life than random occurrences and haphazard events? You may be surprised to hear this, but kabbalists and mystics address this fundamental question with a beautiful and elegant concept called The Divine Sparks. Each one of us is a book - or a musical symphony - and at birth all the different pieces and moving parts of our lives have been scattered, like torn pages of a book - or individual musical notes - and we are tasked with the mission to uncover and discover these sparks, these spiritual opportunities in everything we do. Whether it be in our personal lives, our relationships, our leisure or our work, our calling is to collect every spark and piece them together like a jigsaw puzzle - finding the deeper meaning and purpose within each fragmented piece as part of a larger picture. And only then will we witness and experience what will emerge - a unique and beautiful narrative of our lives, the harmony within diversity. Join Rabbi Jacobson for a fascinating discussion on how to find that elusive unity within -- a unity that connects the multitude of details in your daily life -- and begin to understand your life in a completely new way.

21 Okt 202136min

How would you gauge your confidence level? Do you feel strong and courageous to take on any challenge, or is something holding you back? Truth be told, all people have their fears and insecurities, which can impede their ability to spread their wings and actualize their aspirations and dreams. We can all use a boost in confidence. What can you do to build your confidence? Please join Rabbi Jacobson as he dissects the roots of our inhibitions and insecurities, and offers ways to counter these obstacles. Discover three primary factors that undermine and conceal your innate confidence, and three specific methods -- the triple A: Associates, Attitudes and Actions -- that empower you to reclaim and grow your confidence. Learn how to gain inner strength to achieve the things you always hoped for and reach your greatest goals.

14 Okt 202128min

Do you feel overwhelmed and inundated by the deluge of demands and expectations tugging at you from all directions? Are your personal uncertainties, fears and anxieties flooding your psyche? Are you burned out by information overload continuously streaming into your mind and heart? If you answered yes, know that you are not alone. Virtually every one of us has times — some more often than others — when we feel that we cannot get our heads above water. We may have moments of respite, but the incessant wear and tear of life’s presenting challenges and pressures – — from financial burdens to personal struggles — cause us tremendous stress, to the point of feeling that things are out of control and even hopeless. We try to divide and conquer, taking it day by day, but the longer term forecast can appear gloomy and dark. Is there anything you can do to protect yourself from the raging floodwaters drenching your life? Please join Rabbi Jacobson in this vital and highly relevant presentation addressing one of the most compelling strains of our time. Discover a timeless method to insulate yourself from the torrential tsunamis surging around us. Learn how to engage in life while remaining afloat and above the fray; how to transcend the stormy seas while also riding them to unprecedented heights.

7 Okt 202135min

How much control do you have over your life? Conventional thinking — and in many ways, the prevalent current view — is that most of our lives are determined by circumstances out of our control. If one was born into a dysfunctional home or experienced trauma, for instance, then they will most likely have difficulties with trust and relationships. If one grew up in a toxic and unhealthy environment, that will shape their destiny. This deterministic view is quite fatalistic and frankly downright pessimistic and depressing. Are we indeed simply defined by cause and effect? Or do we have the power to transcend our circumstances? Can we create a better reality than the “hand” we were dealt? To determine whether we are – or we are not – a victim and product of our circumstances, we must first understand and define: Who am I essentially at my core, what makes me tick and what potential and inner resources do I contain? Please join Rabbi Jacobson for this important pre-Rosh Hashana talk and discover new vistas of your soul, that when tapped, go beyond the usual cause and effect forces of life. Learn how your mind and mindset have the strength to change the course of your future; how your thoughts generate energy and chemicals that can shape your destiny. And that even if you can’t control events around you, your mind and attitude can control your ability to navigate even the most difficult challenges.

2 Sep 202129min

Just as we thought we were getting out from under the corona cloud, here we go again. With the latest resurgence of covid related concerns, people everywhere are asking: Will life ever get back to normal? Please join Rabbi Jacobson as he addresses, in his disarming and inimitable way, our current disruptions. Instead of reacting to the symptoms with short term solutions, learn how to turn this challenge into an opportunity to step back and ask ourselves: What exactly is "normal" and who says that our pre-covid norm was healthy in the first place? Discover how upheavals offer us the ability to revisit and recalibrate -- and create a new paradigm in our lives. This is a time to not be a victim of circumstances, but to take control of how you navigate the uncertain twists and turns and define your own destiny.

26 Aug 202132min

There are 4 personality types: 1. What's mine is yours, and what's yours is mine. The ignoramus. 2. What's yours is yours, and what's mine is mine. The average person. 3. What's yours is yours, and what's mine is yours. The optimal personality. 4. What's mine is mine, and what's yours is mine. The wicked person. (Ethics of the Fathers 5:10) Is it possible to balance a healthy ego and a healthy coexistence with others, and if yes—how? Is it merely about a logical negotiation of forgoing some of our immediate needs due to the benefit we receive from others? Or is it far deeper than that? What is more inherent in us -- our individuality, or being part of a larger whole? E Pluribus Unum - out of many, one. How is that possible? Which prevails, the many or the one? Last week we discussed "why not be selfish?" and established that in fact the most selfish thing you can do is be selfless. Transcendence, going beyond our limited boundaries - and not selfishness - is our inherent state. Tonight, join Rabbi Jacobson for a fascinating discussion and discover how there is actually a third dimension to all of this - beyond the individual and beyond the group, and when we connect to that, the magic of true seamless fusion emerges! Both the individual and group become one, harmony within diversity, not a compromise at all but a beautiful, eloquent flow that results from experiencing transcendence -- a reality greater than ourselves.

19 Aug 202136min

Our society is currently challenged, perhaps more than ever, by self-centeredness, a me-me-me era, in which its each man for himself, an eat or get eaten mentality. How will I survive if I am not the "fittest", putting my own needs and self first? Who will look out for me if not myself? Why should I bother going out of my way to help others? And can I have any ego, a healthy sense of self, and still be selfless? Self interest vs the greater common good has plagued humanity from the beginning of time. The prevalent perception is that we are fundamentally driven, first and foremost, by our needs, survival and personal pleasure. Freud called it the Id; Darwin: Survival of the fittest. But is this true? Are we indeed inherently selfish? Join Rabbi Simon Jacobson for a fascinating discussion on seflishness, selflessness and the human ego through the lens of Chassidus, Kabbala and psychology. Learn how to properly balance them all while analyzing the benefits and positive results of helping others. (Spoiler alert: by helping others, you are actually helping yourself!) Discover a new and surprising way to look at yourself and how the destructive behaviour of selfishness, while not only harming others, goes against your very essential nature and thus undermines and stunts personal development and growth.

12 Aug 202130min

Words have always been powerful -- more than we imagine. But they have never been as potent as they are in today's information age and communications revolution. There was a time when our words reached only the people we spoke with or wrote to. Our conversations were limited to those around us, and they were not recorded for posterity. But today, with the explosion of technology -- internet, social media, smartphone -- every word we say or write has been amplified beyond anything anyone could ever have envisioned. Our words are streamed and broadcast to the entire world; they can go viral reaching millions if not billions of people; and they remain etched forever in cyberspace and beyond. Posts on today's platforms can incite a mob, destroy a person's reputation as well as spawn a revolution. On the positive side, a kind word can inspire and comfort large numbers of people. But is our sensitivity to the words we utter up to par with their exponential reach? As our platforms and methods of communications have expanded, have we developed deeper care, respect and empathy to ensure that our words are being used in the best possible way? Are we appreciating the gits we have today? Do we understand the implications of our words -- and their impact? Please join Rabbi Simon Jacobson and explore the deeper roots of our power of speech and communication. We can take for granted our ability to speak with each other. Discover how your words are actually connectors and interfaces between your inner soul and faculties and the people and world around you. The better we understand how speech communicates our ideas and feelings the better we will connect with each other. Learn how your words are streaming energy into the environment around you; how they create a vibe that shapes your surroundings and the people you are speaking with. And above all, how what you say is what you get -- how the energy of your words echoes back to you and defines the response you will receive from others.

5 Aug 202131min