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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 Steven also led us in the Mourner’s Kaddish for all we have lost this year to acts of transphobic violence.

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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.

Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.

Transcript

"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 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 from Rabbi Steven and guest hosts in the meantime!

https://www.mishkanchicago.org/im-going-on-sabbatical/

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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.

Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.

Transcript

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 in the meantime.

https://www.mishkanchicago.org/im-going-on-sabbatical/

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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.

Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.

Transcript

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't be hearing from R'Lizzi until February 2024. We hope you'll enjoy hearing from Rabbi Steven and guest hosts in the meantime!

https://www.mishkanchicago.org/im-going-on-sabbatical/

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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.

Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.

Transcript

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 2024. We hope you'll enjoy hearing from Rabbi Steven and guest hosts in the meantime!

https://www.mishkanchicago.org/im-going-on-sabbatical/

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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.

Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.

Transcript

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.

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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.

Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.

Transcript

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!

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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.

Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.

Transcript

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 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/

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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.

Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.

Transcript

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.

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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.

Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.

Transcript

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 is Shabbat. Then, Rabbi Steven delivered a vulnerable sermon imploring us all not to forget, even in this time of heightened tensions, that all of our neighbors are made in the image of God.

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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.

Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.

Transcript

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 prominent artist Miriam Anzovin whose work can be found at @miriamanzovin on TikTok.

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/

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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.

Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.

Transcript

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 solidarity, support, and further context, and you’ll hear more from us in the coming days. We pray that every single person, and in particular those who are caught in this violence through no choice of their own, is protected under a sukkat shalom — a shelter of peace.

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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 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/

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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.

Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.

Transcript

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.

https://secure.givelively.org/donate/mishkan-chicago/mishkan-high-holidays-2023-5784

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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.

Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.

Transcript

At our Virtual Morning Minyan on September 28th, Rabbi Lizzi  puzzled over the plight of Moshe at the end of the Torah. Why does the man who delivered us from bondage (and received the Torah itself!) not live to see culmination of that labor? Why does the narrative of the Torah leave off with Moshe dying before making it into the Promised Land? Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks may have some insight into this Mosaic mystery.

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/

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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.

Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.

Transcript

Today’s episode is composed of two memorable moments from our 5784 High Holiday services in which lay leaders took to the bima. In the first excerpt from our Kol Nidre service, Tim Graves delivered a drash about his own personal, painful journey of teshuvah as he embraces sobriety. In the second from our Yom Kippur service,  Jackie Rassner delivered a drash about the Bring Chicago Home campaign to combat homelessness. In both sermons, we find that the key to changing the world is often changing ourselves.

If you have been moved by any of Mishkan’s High Holy Days services, we encourage you to donate to our High Holidays Campaign.

https://secure.givelively.org/donate/mishkan-chicago/mishkan-high-holidays-2023-5784

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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.

Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.

Transcript

At our Virtual Morning Minyan on September 21st, Rabbi Lizzi  helped us fill in that sometimes awkwardly normal between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. How can we use this time intentionally as an opportunity to experience the divine?

The song featured in today's episode is "Seder Ha'Avoda" by Ishay Ribo, which is a setting of the high priest's ritual at Yom Kippur. Give it a listen while reading along to these profound, ancient words!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECy3CMxShIQ

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/

Mishkan Chicago's High Holiday tickets are now on sale to the general public! For scheduling, pricing, venue information, and tickets, follow this link:

https://www.mishkanchicago.org/high-holy-days/

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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.

Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.

Transcript

Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.

Transcript

At our Erev Rosh Hashanah service, Rabbi Steven shared a story of his own personal Moses — his uncle Bill, a family friend living with HIV who would not live to see the Promised Land of further gains in LGBTQIA+ rights, but who did leave a lasting impression on young Steven. What are the legacies we will leave behind? What Promised Lands are beyond our lifetimes which we can nonetheless fight for here and now for our children and our children's children?

Mishkan Chicago's High Holiday tickets are now on sale to the general public! For scheduling, pricing, venue information, and tickets, follow this link:

https://www.mishkanchicago.org/high-holy-days/

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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.

Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.

Transcript

At our Virtual Morning Minyan on September 14th, Rabbi Lizzi  rang in the day before the night of the beginning of the first holiday of the Days of Awe!

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/

Mishkan Chicago's High Holiday tickets are now on sale to the general public! For scheduling, pricing, venue information, and tickets, follow this link:

https://www.mishkanchicago.org/high-holy-days/

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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.

Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.

Transcript