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 mystic, transforming the way you experience every aspect of life: To look at life inside out instead of outside...
Jan 17, 2019•51 min
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 to after death? Does the soul journey on? The questions go on in our never-ending curiosity about the exotic and unknown, ...
Jan 10, 2019•47 min
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 you keep focused and not distracted by the pressures and demands on you? Please join Rabbi Jacobson as he ad...
Jan 03, 2019•45 min
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 its impact on our well-being? Are we aware of the far-reaching effects of a deprived soul? Please joi...
Dec 27, 2018•51 min
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 have shaped you and your true personality? The fact is that many of us don't really know what our r...
Dec 20, 2018•51 min
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 the negative and the unpleasant, but to help us learn how to return from the dark side - whatever form...
Dec 13, 2018•59 min
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 join Rabbi Jacobson in this special Chanukah program as he dissects the anatomy and soul of fire. Disco...
Dec 06, 2018•51 min
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 and humility in our lives, and digs into the very root of the "self." Should we be ego-less or is i...
Nov 29, 2018•55 min
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 your energies and time on matters you have control over, and not waste precious strength on that whi...
Nov 22, 2018•49 min
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... Please join Rabbi Jacobson as he explores and dissects the anatomy of fear and courage, and learn a...
Nov 19, 2018•59 min
"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 psycho-spiritual impact on our bodies and souls. Learn how tattoos of all types -- literal and physica...
Nov 08, 2018•54 min
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 shock and grief, how are we to respond to such unspeakable tragedy? What can we do about such hate? Is ...
Nov 01, 2018•55 min
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 constitution of laws to govern our communities and nations, what happens with all the areas that cannot be...
Oct 29, 2018•51 min
You can't live with it; you can't live without it. If ever this expression applies it certainly applies to the ego. Without an ego we lose our personality and self-confidence, not to mention our natural instinct for self-preservation. Too great of an ego can hurt us and others. But how much of an ego is healthy? And above all: How big is your ego? Are you able to answer that question when your ego blinds you from seeing yourself objectively? Please join Rabbi Jacobson in this fascinating analysi...
Oct 18, 2018•46 min
Glaringly missing from all the controversy and debate raging around now Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s contentious confirmation hearings is the underlying issue that lays at the heart of the matter: Sexuality. Or in legal terms: Roe vs. Wade - the 1973 landmark Supreme Court decision that established a woman's constitutional legal right to an abortion. In a twist of irony, the last-minute bombshell accusation that almost torpedoed Kavanaugh’s nomination was also about sexuality: his all...
Oct 11, 2018•50 min
Balance is the healthiest and most coveted approach to life and the challenges we encounter. Extremes usually lead to undesired consequences. When we act desperately, without disciplined composure and presence of mind, we usually make mistakes and go too far in one direction or another. Yet there are times when extreme measures are warranted. How does one determine when to exercise an extreme approach and when not to? Please join Rabbi Jacobson in this special High Holidays talk which addresses ...
Sep 14, 2018•59 min
We all want a good life. But what does "good" mean? Does it signify anything more than a platitude? The traditional New Year greeting is to be blessed with a "good and sweet year." What is the difference between "good" and "sweet'? Why are these specific terms used? Please join Rabbi Jacobson is this pre-Rosh Hashana talk and discover how the two dimensions of "good and sweet" capture the primary thing we are all looking for: A year of abundance and blessings in all matters, material and spiritu...
Sep 07, 2018•49 min
How high can we reach and how do we reach there? These two questions lie at heart of life's "big" questions. Some argue that we mortals are quite limited and cannot reach very far. Others add that even if you were able to reach to the stars, you wouldn't know how to or you wouldn't be able to find a vehicle that can take you there. These perspectives hardly leave us with much hope to discover great vistas. No wonder many of us give up before even trying. Enter two great mystics who taught us bot...
Aug 31, 2018•49 min
How many of today's marriages are healthy and successful? What even defines success in marriage? Is it simply two people getting along, or is there more to it? While failed marriages can be difficult to measure, current statistics show up to a 50% divorce rate. And that does not take into account dysfunctional marriages and emotionally divorced couples who remain only technically married. So we are left with the million dollar question, which is asked again and again: Can we build a marriage tha...
Aug 17, 2018•56 min
We usually associate great power with sheer size and strength. A while back the strongest army was the one with the most military personnel and the largest weapons and arsenal. But as science has increasingly demonstrated, it's not quantity but quality that wields the greatest potency. The splitting of a microscopic atom can deliver far more energy than the largest weapon. Same with the human body: The most powerful forces in our organisms are contained in the tiniest forms in nature -- cells, c...
Aug 09, 2018•56 min
Do you consider yourself ordinary? Who would you describe as being extraordinary? What defines a hero? Who are the people you admire most? Are they also your role models? What are our criteria for greatness? The standards for excellence in our modern culture are quite confusing. The idols we worship today -- superstars in sports, Hollywood, TV and all our other cultural symbols -- deeply skew and distort reality. How can anyone growing up in today's society have a clear headed view on true value...
Aug 02, 2018•45 min
Some of life's greatest lessons can be derived from the cosmos. We can learn much just from just looking up at the heavens and seeing the celestial bodies in space. This is especially true of the moon, which continues to mesmerize the human race. Its close proximity to earth, its haunting glow, its phases and effects on our tides and plants -- have, and continue to feed romance, science, religion and folklore, and our quest to better understand ourselves and the world in which we live. During th...
Jul 26, 2018•50 min
Fear is one of the most debilitating -- and invisible -- forces that we need to contend with in life. How does one find courage to face fear? It seems like a catch-22 situation: Fear is the antithesis of courage. If you have fear, how can you muster up courage to fight fear; and if you have courage, then you have no need to fear the fear. Is there a way our of this quagmire? All this gets more complicated when you take into consideration your being comfortable with your routines and habitual tra...
Jul 19, 2018•57 min
Why is it that we an't seem to free ourselves of our pasts even when we determine to proceed on with our lives? What is it about the past that keeps us down and even trapped? Why can't we just shake off previous experiences and move forward? In this powerful class Rabbi Jacobson uncovers the mysterious power of inertia created by our pasts, and teaches us how to loosen its hold. Learn how to unclog blocks that imprison your psyche -- and release the enormous energy within, allowing you to build ...
Jul 17, 2018•56 min
Independence Day seems to be a good time to take stock of your own state of independence. Do you feel free or do you feel subjugated to forces controlling your life -- your job, expectations of others, your inner fears? Is your spirit light and soaring like a bird, or are you weighed down and drained? Perhaps this compels us to ask the bigger question: What actually is true independence? Is it a physical state -- as in not being confined to a dungeon, or is it an emotional and psychological stat...
Jul 05, 2018•53 min
Integrity is a critical component in virtually every aspect of existence. From infrastructures to relationships, from nature to medicine, from education to leadership - when integrity is compromised the entire entity is jeopardized. Integrity engenders trust and builds confidence and stability. Nothing, frankly, can be relied upon if their is no integrity. And yet, most of us can agree that we live in times when integrity is in crisis. What impact does this have on our psyches and societies? Wha...
Jun 28, 2018•50 min
With high profile celebrity suicides in recent news, this painfully tragic issue has returned to the fore. Perhaps the single most dreaded and shame-filled act, suicide remains one of the darkest deeply hidden secrets in a family's life. Citing statistics about something so alarming, seems callous and insensitive, yet this unfortunate data can hopefully serve to propel us to action with increased and focused urgency. Facing the devastating facts, that 45,000 people die by suicide each year - and...
Jun 21, 2018•1 hr
"Trust me" is one of the most untrustworthy statements one can make. Would you trust someone simply because they ask you (or tell you) to trust them? Trust must be earned. This is especially true in a situation -- and an environment -- in which trust has been violated, and people have been hurt by those they trusted. But how does one earn trust? Trust is the single most important ingredient in any true communication; it creates the fertile ground for all relationships. What ingredients are neces...
Jun 21, 2018•55 min
When faced with a dilemma do you usually find yourself stuck between two stark options - yes or no, right or wrong, hold or fold, proceed or retreat? Do you tend to look at things in black and white? Or in extremes? Do you see people in terms of being either friend or foe? When someone hurts you, do you write them off? When you run into an obstacle, do you easily give up? So often, we only see two options before us. Whether this is due to social conditioning or lack of training, this myopic view...
Jun 11, 2018•56 min
How would you define civilization? Do you think that the standards for a civilized society have changed over the years? Would we consider, say, ancient Greece as civilized? How would they consider us? Which words would you use to describe civilized: cultured, educated, ethical, enlightened, refined, sophisticated, advanced, or something else? Are there even objective values with which to measure civilization? Please join Rabbi Jacobson in this pre-Shavuot class as he presents a surprisingly new ...
May 24, 2018•52 min
