Meaningful Life Skills with Rabbi Simon Jacobson

As far back as history goes the male/female dynamic has been at the core of human relationships. Love, intimacy, family, home — the very perpetuation of our species — is build upon the connection between the two genders. The health of a society can be measured by the way they interact. Men and women in harmony produce the most beautiful fruit. When they are at war the ugliness is hard to bear. Is...

Many are lamenting the fact that Thanksgiving 2020 will not be the same as usual. Due to Covid concerns, we will not be able to gather and celebrate with our entire families; travel restrictions will keep close ones apart. People are concerned what impact this will have on our psyches and moods. It's not easy to spend a holiday alone or with just a few loved ones. Loneliness and isolation can have...

What impact does technology and social media have on our lives? Is it freeing or enslaving us? Is it helping us become greater and freer? Are we controlling it or is it controlling us? Much has been written and argued about on this topic. Two futuristic scenarios have been posited -- one in which machines end up ruling us, and the other in which we rule the machines. The latest popular Netflix doc...

Do you take care of your soul as much as you do your body? Do you address your emotional, psychological and spiritual needs in a reactive way (responding to problems, crisis, trauma, fear) or in a proactive way (bolstering your spirit, and preempting issues)? In the United States alone over $350 trillion is annually spent on health care. $250 billion of that is spent on mental health. The real num...

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 cl...

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 attorney...

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...

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 vulnerabil...

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...

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...

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...

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 Hi...

Subscribe to the Meaningful Life Center YouTube Channel for more: 🔔 https://www.youtube.com/meaningfullifecenter?sub_confirmation=1   Social media and technology in general have transformed the way we communicate and interact with each other. Has it improved or worsened our lives and relationships? It definitely has its benefits, and has opened up new opportunities. But it also presents us w...

Your body serves as a vehicle to carry your soul through life. Just as you would not harm another person, you should not harm your own body. It is your duty to eat well, to rest, to stay in shape, and to treat your body with respect in every way. Physical fitness is not arbitrary or optional; it is part of your responsibility to yourself. On the other hand, worshipping the body is destructive. The...

Do you control your destiny or is your life predetermined? Is the Zodiac real or a myth? Do its signs play any role or have any significance in our lives? These are not theoretical questions. If our lives are predestined, then we must wonder whether we have any free choice. And the answer to that question has far reaching implications in our lives. If your destiny has already been determined then...

Subscribe to the Meaningful Life Center YouTube Channel for more: 🔔 https://www.youtube.com/meaningfullif...  Good and evil has always intrigued and mystified us. Each one of us has both a beautiful and ugly side. It may be called light and shadow, noble and cruel, selfless and selfish -- whatever terms you use -- these two forces are real within you and I. And they are in perpetual battle:...

Is there hope after loss? Rebuilding after destruction? Love after betrayal? Life after death? Too often we give up after we have experienced hurt and disappointment, especially when the abuse is repeated and sustained. Once our trust has been breached, it becomes increasingly difficult to trust again. After being invalidated and rejected time after time, a demoralized child tragically begins to l...

Subscribe to the Meaningful Life Center YouTube Channel for more: 🔔 https://www.youtube.com/meaningfullif...  It's beyond absurd to witness the man-made problems we are creating today due to our divisiveness and inability to civilly communicate with each other -- especially evident in the looming presidential election campaign. It's bad enough that we are have on our hands a global pandemic...

For the first time in our lives, virtually all public entertainment venues are closed down -- stadiums, concerts, theaters, preforming arts, museums, clubs, amusement parks, galas and parties. This unique situation presents us with a rare opportunity to step back and ask ourselves: What role does entertainment have in my life? What happens when many of my entertainment options are not available: I...

Everybody is now asking the big question: When will life go back to normal? What will the new norm look like? Will anything change? But the bigger question we should be asking is: What exactly is "normal"? Is "normal" defined by the usual routines and patterns we are accustomed to? How do we really know that the conditions we consider to be "norms" are actually true and real? Perhaps they are just...

It's hard to imagine most people acknowledging that they are judgmental. We usually find explanations and excuses for criticizing and judging others. "I am not judging that person, all I am is pointing out their faults." "It's not about me, it's about the truth and upholding higher standards."  "God has a problem with that person, not me." These are some of the most common justifications for...

How Do You React Under Pressure? The Rebbe’s revolutionary message for our turbulent times Crisis and pressure brings out the best in some people and the worst in others. Many lose their composure and confidence when squeezed. They get overwhelmed and can even crumble under pressure. And there are those that maintain their balance and calm; some even rise to the occasion in stressful situations.&n...

With all the incessant and unrelenting talk addressing the upheavals of our time, one critical element is glaringly missing in the conversation: The utter lack of visionary leadership.  Can you recall one -- even one -- memorable and inspiring talk delivered by any of our so-called leaders, giving us hope and confidence, calling upon our noble spirits, offering us a clear and focused long-ter...

Why does the unknown unnerve and frighten us?  Just witness the way people are struggling with the uncertain future created by the pandemic, coupled now by the racial unrest raging in our cities. The disruption of everything we usually relied on - our schedules, our plans, our work, our children's activities, our travels -- virtually every one of our otherwise dependable routines, is shaking...

In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, another pandemic has taken to the streets. Cities are burning across the U.S., filled with people protesting racism, including angry mobs looting and violently attacking police and innocent store owners. How should we be reacting to all of this? We are all appalled at the blatant killing of George Floyd by a police officer. But what is a healthy and legitimate...