Meaningful Life Skills with Rabbi Simon Jacobson

 Good people are always mystified by what drives a "regular" person to plan and execute the deliberate and premeditated cold-blooded murder of innocent people, let alone in a house of worship. What is going on in this person's twisted mind and dark heart as he attacks men, women and children of faith during their prayers and celebrations?! How can a human being stoop to such obscene hate and...

 Evil is a word thrown around a lot. But what does it mean? What exactly is evil? Does evil exist? Are there any things that are inherently evil, or is evil man-made -- the injustices and crimes one perpetrates against another? Is evil a subjective or objective reality? Is it just in the eyes of the beholder, or is there more to it? And if there is such a thing as evil how do we protect ourse...

 When asked "who are you?" most people show you their business card. But that's what you do, not who you are. Yet, with time many of us, sadly, lose sight of who we are and become what we do. when it should be the other way around; Who you are should define and direct what you do. With all the factors that have influenced you -- parents, education, job -- it can be very difficult to figure ou...

What is intuition? Is it cognitive or emotional? Based on intelligence or instinct? Where do your gut feelings and instincts come from? Can you trust them? Can you hone and improve your intuition, or are some of us just wired with more intuition than others?  Please join Rabbi Jacobson in this eye-opening Purim workshop as he probes the inner workings of human intuition and the deeper recesse...

 What is the role of government? Ostensibly, this question may seem irrelevant to our personal lives. On further thought, however, it's quite clear that the welfare of a government directly impacts the welfare of every one of its citizens. Yet, with so much distrust in our governments today, with the polarization of our political parties, and accusations of corruption being hurled in all dire...

 Many of us justify, for various reasons, the need to not be completely honest with others about our feelings. We may be judged or misunderstood. We are dependent on them and can't therefore always candidly express our true sentiments. To survive in this self-interest driven world, the argument goes, we need to wear a variety of masks and veils to please, placate and interact with others. Whe...

What criteria defines your personal value -- money, respect or beauty? How much of your worthiness is determined by factors outside of you and how much by forces within you? Where does self-esteem come from? What role does validation by others play in your life? Please join Rabbi Jacobson as he breaks down the different ways we measure our worth, offering a formula for developing and cultivating a...

It's one thing to get inspired at an auspicious moment (a birthday, a milestone); it's quite another to maintain that motivation once we reenter the grind of our daily routines. How can we lift up and improve our day to day lives?   Please join Rabbi Jacobson in this potentially life-changing discussion how to transform your "ordinary" day into an extraordinary one and turn your usual li...

How many faces do you have? Perhaps a better word for it is "masks" -- how many masks do you wear? The face/mask you show your co-workers, the face/mask you show your friends, the face/mask you show your family, the face/mask you show strangers, the face/mask you show to people you trust, and the one you show to people you fear -- and in each one of these groups you have likely a different face/ma...

 Can you be happy without money? Does money guarantee happiness? Can you have money and be miserable? The power money wields over us is undeniable. It deeply impacts and exerts its influence on virtually every aspect of our lives. What does this power teach us about ourselves? We all need money to live, but is our dependency on money simply about necessity, or is it deeper than that -- emotio...

 If life's tool chest -- the skills we need to cope and thrive -- could be distilled into three essential elements, what would they be? We all want success. But what does it take to achieve that? And what even defines a successful life? Please join Rabbi Jacobson as he takes on this challenge and presents three vital life skills necessary to succeed and actualize your potential. Discover thre...

 This week a a rare celestial occurrence took place: A supermoon (when the moon is at its closest point of orbit to Earth, making it appear about 14% larger) coincided with a total lunar eclipse. Some call it a “super blood wolf moon,” due to the reddish tint the moon takes on when fully eclipsed. The eclipse was visible across the entire U.S. for 62 minutes on Sunday night, as well...

Do you have any idea how much power and potential you carry within you? How much strength you have in your "engine room"?  Are you shortchanging yourself by not living up to your enormous capabilities? Please join Rabbi Jacobson in this intriguing discussion and discover fascinating insights into what makes you tick "under your dashboard." Learn how to access your inner angels and inner mysti...

 Do we have past lives? Were you here before? Do past life experiences impact your current life and personality? Why do some of us have a déjà vu experience when encountering certain people or places? Why do some children appear to be an "old soul" in a new body? is there a way to become more aware of a past life? Where does your soul come from upon birth and where does it go t...

 To "build the life you want" sounds simple. Who, after all, doesn't want to create a desirable life? But it's not simple at all. First of all, how do you even determine what it is that you "want"? And how do you know that what you want is really good for you and achievable? Even once you define a healthy life goal, how do you actually build such a life? What tools are necessary and how do yo...

Can you be happy if your body is in perfect shape but your soul is not? Most us of us are familiar with at least the basic necessities of physical health -- how to maintain the hygiene of a fit and healthy body through nutrition, exercise and rest. But do we know how to achieve spiritual health -- how to nourish and condition the soul? Do we understand the importance of having a healthy soul and i...

It may sound cliche, but one of the most important questions you can ask yourself is: "Who am I?" If that seems too simplistic, let's rephrase the question: Can you distinguish between what you do and who you truly are (when most people are asked who they are, they present their business card...)? Can you tell the difference between the attitudes and forces -- parental, cultural and social -- that...

The "dark side" sounds very foreboding. While most people have not actually fallen prey to dark forces which control their lives, each of us has our darker side -- that ugly part of our lives which we prefer to keep buried like skeletons in our "closets." Is there then any value in speaking about these shadows, which we are loath to expose? The only purpose in doing so is not to simply dwell on th...

Fire is one of those things you can't live with and you can't live without. Get too close to fire or if the fire gets too large and close to you, it can wreak terrible devastation, consuming everything in its path (witness the recent wild California fires). On the other hand, life could not exist without the warmth and light of fire. What is fire and what role does it play in our lives? Please joi...

What possible good can there about feeling inferior?! A negative self attitude is the root of so many human problems. Feelings of inadequacy and insecurity undermine our confidence, they demoralize us and compromise virtually every aspect of our lives. So how can there be anything positive in that? Don't we all need a healthy sense of self? Please join Rabbi Jacobson as he explores the role of ego...

Control. We all would like to have or take control over our lives? But how much do we actually control? How often do we invest in changing things we have no power over, while neglecting that which we have power over? Please join Rabbi Jacobson as he addresses this important issue and learn methods how to determine and distinguish between the things you can change and those you can't. How to focus...

Much has been said about our fear of failure. Indeed, fear is usually associated with concern over defeat and loss. But how about fear of success? Do we undermine our very own interests because we are afraid of what success may bring? Why would anyone even do such a thing? Perhaps this illuminates the deeper roots of fear -- not the fear of failure or the fear of success, but the fear of change......

"Kabbalah of Tattoos" -- say what?! What in the world can the Kabbalah possibly say about tattoos?! What mystical significance can tattoos possibly have, particularly considering that tattoos are explicitly prohibited in the Torah (“You shall not etch a tattoo on yourselves")?! Please join Rabbi Jacobson and discover some surprising and illuminating insights into the nature of tattoos and their ps...

We are all mortified by the brutal murders of the eleven innocent Jews killed last Saturday in Pittsburgh. During morning services a Jew hating gunman stormed the Tree of Life Synagogue and opened fire on worshipers, yelling "kill all the Jews." This horrific massacre, considered the deadliest anti-Semitic attack in U.S. history, has left the community and the entire nation reeling. But beyond sho...

Morality lies at the heart of every healthy society. Without mutual ethical values checking raw self-interest and different viewpoints, any group of individuals would tear itself apart. But what/who defines our moral standards? If we are left to our own subjective devices to determine right from wrong, how can we find common ground and respect? Even if we can achieve a consensus and build a consti...