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She's back! Today's Shabbat Replay comes from our February 9th service when Rabbi Lizzi took to the bimah for the first time since her sabbatical.  In a wide-ranging sermon, R'Lizzi addressed the ongoing Israel-Hamas war and called on all of us to do the difficult work of believing that a peaceful future is still possible. **** For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our e...

The Children of Israel are known for being "stiff-necked" G-d wrestlers. So why are the newly-freed Hebrews so quick to accept G-d's commandments before even hearing them?  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://www.mishkanchicago.org...

Today’s Shabbat Replay comes from our Friday Night Shabbat service on January 26th. In this week’s parshah, we meet Amalek, an unknown enemy who come out of nowhere to attack the Hebrews as they escape from bondage. We are commanded to both erase the memory of this dastardly foe and to always remember how they targeted the most vulnerable among us. How are we to remember and forget? And how can we...

Today is Tu B'Shevat, the New Year of the Trees when we celebrate the bounty of our leafy friends. But in a place like Chicago, there isn't a lot of greenery to go around. So how can we hold onto hope in dreary months and dismal times? How can plant the seeds of a future so far off we may not even live to see it? **** For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar ,...

We've all wondered why G-d hardened Pharaoh's heart. But have you ever wonder why G-d didn't harden Pharaoh's courtiers' hearts after saying G-d would? And what does "harden" really mean? We got into it in today's Morning Minyan held on January 18th. Every weekday at 8:00 am, Mishkan Chicago holds a virtual Morning Minyan.  You can join in yourself , or list...

Today’s episode is from our service on January 12th when Rabbi Steven delivered a powerful sermon processing the rising death toll in Gaza amidst the ongoing war. As we grapple with our own loss, how can we open our hearts to compassion for others’ suffering? How can we hold all the stories that make us cry? **** For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar , and see our Ac...

Today's episode is from our Morning Minyan on Thursday, January 11th when we discussed Parashat Va'era. G-d steps in to save the Hebrews from bondage, but Rabbi Steven is left with a big question — why now? Did G-d forget about them? Or maybe there's something more psychological going on... Every weekday at 8:00 am, Mishkan Chicago holds a virtual Morning Minyan.  You can join in yo...

Today's episode is from our lively Morning Minyan discussion on Thursday, January 4th about Parashat Shemot. Who is this new pharaoh in the opening of Exodus? Just some fallible, faulty figurehead pushed around by a fearful populace?  Or is he an impossibly long-lived, inhuman monster? Every weekday at 8:00 am, Mishkan Chicago holds a virtual Morning Minyan.  You can join in yourself , or lis...

Every weekday at 8:00 am, Mishkan Chicago holds a virtual Morning Minyan. Our Thursday sessions are hosted by Mishkan's Founding Rabbi, Lizzi Heydemann. You can join in yourself , or listen to all the prayer, music, and inspiration right here on Contact Chai. https://www.mishkanchicago.org/series/morning-minyan-summer-fall-2023/ **** For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event...

How did astrology guide our ancestors? And how can astrology help us reexamine our calendar today? At our December 15th Virtual Friday Night Shabbat, Rabbi Steven dove into the surprisingly mystical history behind our tradition's interpretation of the Jewish calendar. **** For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar , and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for...

At our December 8th service, Rabbi Steven connected the ancient themes of Hanukkah to the present-day realities of antisemitism and hatred which we must overcome together. **** 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. Produc...

In honor of Transgender Day of Remembrance, we were honored to welcome special guest drasher Avery Komlofske to our Virtual Friday Night Shabbat service on November 17th. Avery is a graduate of Mishkan’s conversion and affirmation program, Blueprint, and he related his experiences of transitioning and converting to the gendered trials and tribulations of Esau in this week's parsha. Rabbi Stev...

"Empathy is not endorsement. Empathizing with someone you profoundly disagree with does not suddenly compromise your own deeply held beliefs and endorse theirs.” -Dylan Marron This episode is a Shabbat Replay from our November 11th Friday Night Shabbat. Big programming note — Rabbi Lizzi is taking a well deserved sabbatical . This means that while we will continue with our Morning Minyans eve...

Big programming note — Rabbi Lizzi is taking a well deserved sabbatical beginning next week! This means that while we will continue with our Morning Minyans every weekday and you'll still see services, sermons, and minyan content in this feed, we won't be hearing from R'Lizzi until February 2024. We hope you'll enjoy hearing thoughtful content from Rabbi Steven and guest hosts...

When the world tries to rob us of our humanity, our response is to be more human. This episode is a Shabbat Replay from our October 27th Friday Night Shabbat.  Big programming note — Rabbi Lizzi is taking a well deserved sabbatical . This means that while we will continue with our Morning Minyans every weekday and you'll still see services, sermons, and minyan content in this feed, we won&apo...

What do Abraham and Debbie Friedman have in common? Find out in this episode taken from our October 26th minyan! Big programming note — Rabbi Lizzi is taking a well deserved sabbatical . This means that while we will continue with our Morning Minyans every weekday and you'll still see services, sermons, and minyan content in this feed, we won't be hearing from R'Lizzi until February...

At our October 21st Saturday morning Shabbat service, we welcomed community member Joel Braunold to give a talk on the present crisis in Israel in Gaza. Joel is the Managing Director of the S. Daniel Abraham Center for Middle East Peace, and he holds dozens of relationships with policy makers and NGO heads in Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank. **** For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check o...

Don't tap that screen — tap into your best self! At our October 20th virtual service, Rabbi Lizzi delivered a drash connecting the themes of Parashat Noach to our own present catastrophe. Sometimes, even if we want to stay informed, it does us a lot of good to unplug, step away, and rest. Thankfully, Shabbos is here to invite us to do just that! **** For upcoming Shabbat services and programs...

In this morning's virtual minyan, Rabbi Lizzi read from How Lovely the Ruins: Inspirational Poems and Words for Difficult Times , a poetry collection she has been turning to during this painful time.  Just try not to cry. Every weekday at 8:00 am, Mishkan Chicago holds a virtual Morning Minyan. Our Thursday sessions are hosted by Mishkan's Founding Rabbi, Lizzi Heydemann. You can join in...

Content Warning : This episode contents rocket sirens and frank discussions of war. Today's episode is our virtual Morning Minyan from October 16th. Rabbi Lizzi led us in a celebration of Rosh Chodesh and prayers for the hostages, and then beginning at 36:19, Jerusalem-based Mishkanite Rachel Goldberg was generous enough to share some updates about what life is like in Israel right now. ****...

Our October 13th service was something to behold. This was our first Friday Night Shabbat post High Holidays, and our community has been reaching out looking for a space to grieve and pray following the devastating October 7th terrorist attack on Israeli civilians.  As a result, this was our most attended service since the pandemic. Rabbi Lizzi welcomed us into the restful, restorative place that...

At our Virtual Morning Minyan on October 12th, Rabbi Lizzi welcomed dozens of community members to pray for those impacted by the ongoing violence in Israel and Gaza, and to hold space for one another to process our own feelings. The song featured in the intro to today's episode was " Tree of Life " by Nefesh Mountain. The creator featured at the end of today's episode was prom...

On October 9th, just two days after the terror attack on Israeli civilians by Hamas, our regularly scheduled Monday Morning Minyan with Rachel Goldberg became a space for our community to process the horrific ongoing news. Rachel, who is living in Israel, shared with Rabbi Lizzi and over a hundred Mishkanites about her experiences. We have already reached out to our community via email to provide...

At our Virtual Morning Minyan on October 5th, Rabbi Lizzi shook things up by welcoming minyan members into her sukkah. That's right — today's virtual minyan was partially in-person! The song featured in the intro to today's episode was "Great Day" by Eddie From Ohio. Every weekday at 8:00 am, Mishkan Chicago holds a virtual Morning Minyan. Our Thursday sessions are hosted...

At our 5784 Kol Nidre service, Rabbi Steven Philp delivered a drash on the centrality of joy in Jewish tradition. If we allow ourselves to be fully present and fully ourselves, we will find that God is inviting each of us to joy. Have you made time for joy in your day, yet? If you have been moved by any of Mishkan’s High Holy Days services, we encourage you to donate to our High Holidays Campaign....