Meaningful Life Skills with Rabbi Simon Jacobson Rabbi Simon Jacobson

We are always looking for miracles in our lives, seeking out extraordinary moments within our ordinary routines. Those aha moments that affect, inspire and transform who we are.



I'd like to share with you some miracles I recently experienced.



Life is filled with paradoxes. Joy, pain, tears, celebration... the roller coaster of the cycles and vicissitudes of life. Nowhere is this captured more than in the biblical Promised Land, the Holy Land of Israel.



I have just returned from a trip there and I personally experienced - as so many others have I'm sure in their own way - these paradoxes; witnessing real miracles and joy while also seeing pain, tears and suffering. What can we learn from these moments? What lessons can we apply to our personal lives?



The Holy Land, as Jacob called it in the Bible, is a gate to heaven; an interface between heaven and earth, a bridge between spirit and matter, that allows us all to experience deeper states of transcendence in our very material and physical world. There are thus many lessons that can be learned from the miracles and paradoxes manifest in the Promised Land of Israel.



I, Rabbi Simon Jacobson, invite you to please join me in this special discussion as I take you through a journey of my personal diary from Israel.

The continued unrest on our university campuses has raised very powerful and existential questions: Are our education systems healthy or corrupt? Are we actually giving the very best to our children and to our students? Are we setting them up for life and providing the necessary tools to help them not only survive but also thrive?There's clearly a problem. Our universities were always meant to be the ultimate model of academic excellence, free thought, open inquiry, and healthy discussions - a place where all opinions are welcome. But when universities turn political, armed with specific agendas, you have to wonder what's happening to our education system as a whole?Take a look at our students. When you ask them what they stand for, what values they are ready to fight for, many of them are clueless. Couple that with technology, social media and all the forces that are inundating their impressionable minds, and we have a very confused generation. Are our youth getting a healthy education? Are they learning how to think critically, or are they being indoctrinated, brainwashed?And above all, what is education? Is it a mere transmission of facts and information, or is it about character development?Please join Rabbi Jacobson as he discusses these vital questions. Explore the anatomy of who we are as human beings, and how education is meant to shape minds, hearts and souls into being the best they can be.Today’s crisis in our schools offers us a wake-up call and an opportunity to reclaim the true meaning and goal of education. Together let us embark on a healthy journey to realign the very focus that lies at the center of shaping the minds of our next generation.

With protests breaking out on our campuses across the country, everyone is asking what is going on? Why suddenly now? What's happening? What's behind all this?Initially, the protests seemed to be a spontaneous reaction of innocent students simply outraged at innocent civilians being killed in Gaza. But if that's the case, why were there no protests after the horrendous atrocities of October 7? It's becoming increasingly clear that the intentions of the organizers of these protests was to deliberately create the impression of spontaneity - it's a an excellent way of fabricating a dramatic narrative. But the more we dig into the story and the more time passes we realize that these uprisings are part of a very insidious and planned strategy - being formulated and funded for years, with the understanding that this is a PR war, a war over our perceptions. Vietnam wasn't lost in Vietnam; it was lost in the minds of Americans. And while we don't want to compare the two, the impression these bad players are trying to create is that these students are waking us all up to a “moral” obligation, when in fact there's far more criminal intent going on with clueless students being used to nefarious ends. It is critical more than ever that we delve deeper to understand the forces at work creating these disruptions in our institutions, bringing ferment and hate in a place that was always protected from war: our schools and universities. This isn't just an inconsequential phase, there are high stakes involved.Please join Rabbi Simon Jacobson in this important conversation as he address the question on all of our minds: Is Hamas at war with our students, our universities and America?

Freedom is one of our most cherished values. It is a monumental achievement of our times. The human aspiration for freedom, the desire to live as a free people, reflects the deepest longing of the soul, and is a vivid departure, standing in stark contrast to the days when monarchs and tyrants ruled.

But what does freedom truly mean? Is it merely the lack of physical confinement, the absence of bars and chains, or does it go beyond that? Consider this: In our contemporary world, we are surrounded by communication technologies designed to liberate and emancipate us. However, how many of us find ourselves entrapped and addicted to these gadgets? We live in an era of prosperity and unprecedented comforts, yet we grapple with more addictions than ever, be they physical, emotional, or psychological. Freedom, while a beautiful concept, also comes with its challenges. Even if we are free from external control, we may still find ourselves oppressed by forces that dominate us, like fear, insecurity, societal pressures to conform. We can be physically liberated and successful, but be psychologically enslaved.

Please join Rabbi Simon Jacobson Join in this crucial pre-Passover discussion titled ‘When Freedom is Slavery’, and discover the true essence of freedom, and how to access it in our lives and relationships.

Do you ever feel lonely? Not due to lack of companionship, friends, social circle or support system, but a fundamental nagging feeling that you are all alone in this universe? An inner cosmic vacuum: is there anyone out there that cares? Am I truly on a metaphorical island unto myself, surrounded by people yet really utterly alone, each person for himself?... Loneliness can be one of the most devastating experiences precisely because of its innocuous nature. It's not loud, it doesn't create drama or noise. It's that silent sense of feeling lost at sea... drifting alone... Do I matter? Does anyone really see or hear me? When I'm in pain and my soul is crying, does anyone care?Can anyone really fill the void of a person's loneliness? We all need love but with all the love we may have, can it pierce that empty space, that lonely place we all feel, when we walk alone at the end of the day? Please join Rabbi Jacobson as he probes the cosmic, psychological and spiritual roots of existential loneliness. By understanding these roots we discover ways to attach and connect to a reality beyond ourselves, which transcends our inner dissonance and sense of aloneness. A place where we are integrated with a higher seamless singularity. Learn how to access that deeper unity and infuse it into our fragmented lives.

Is religion synonymous with morality? And is morality synonymous with religion?

It is indeed disconcerting to witness a religious figure act immorally — doing something criminal, abusive, violating another, behaving in a manner that contradicts the moral standards we associate with their position. This stark contrast is very unsettling, as it challenges our perception of a religious leader’s role in upholding the highest virtues of humanity.

This paradox has led some to question the integrity of religion, citing corruption and hypocrisy, particularly when these flaws hide behind a veneer of piety. However, it’s impossible to ignore the lofty principles and values religion has introduced to humanity, demonstrating the extraordinary potential of human character.

So what are we to make of this contradiction — when a religious person behaves in an immoral fashion? Many atheists argue that we can be moral without faith and without G-d. Is this true?

This raises the question, do we need religion to be moral? And do we need religion to be moral? Some argue that morality can exist independently of religious faith.

Please join Rabbi Simon Jacobson as he explores this intriguing topic, dispelling stereotypes and shedding light on the true essence of religion and its inherent connection with morality.