Meaningful Life Skills: Weekly Global Class

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 documentary, The Social Dilemma, sounds the alarm about the way technology today controls us -- manipulating how we think, act, and live our lives. What can we do about it? How can we regain mastery over our lives while still using technology?  Please join Rabbi Jacobson for a fascinating new way of looking at the events of this world including social media -- through the eyes of your soul. How does your soul see the commotion and turbulence of physical existence and all its institutions and technologies? How does it experience information overload and sensory over stimulation? Discover powerful tools and methods

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 numbers are certainly higher than that. And these are just the financials. How about the amount of time and energy we invest in taking care of our bodies?! Now let’s ask ourselves: How about our souls — how much time and energy do we spend on our spiritual needs? The investment we make in our soul care in contrast to our body care couldn’t be more staggering. No wonder inner happiness and peace is so rare and elusive. Can we do anything to change that? Please join Rabbi Jacobson in this penetrating talk which probes into the inner workings of your soul. Your soul is made up of ethereal components just as your body is

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 clearly defined winner. But no. We have not been allowed even this one brief reprieve. We don’t even know when we will know who the next president will be. And even when the winner will be announced, how will that impact our country and the world? What is going on? How do we explain the unknowns piling up one after another? Just nine months ago life seemed to be sailing along relatively smoothly, traveling on a pretty reliable trajectory. Our schedules and plans were in place; our institutions were stable (with the usual ups and downs of the ebb and flow). But then Covid-19 and its collateral impact disrupting every s

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 attorneys... It may not be the first time, but the 2020 presidential election seems particularly nasty and distasteful. Just listen to the comments of representatives of both parties, and of pundits on dueling media platforms. It's like two different universes. You would think that life is all black or white, good or evil, you're either totally right or totally wrong -- with absolutely no room for nuances, subtleties and the grey areas that define true life. Is it even possible that each side has some legitimate argument? When following current events -- hyped up by biased media on all ends -- many of us feel defiled and fr

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 to the confusion. All the doubts and unknowns are very disconcerting. The conventional "responses" to coping with uncertainty are either 1) denial and escapism, burying your head in the sand and ignoring the unknowns, 2) retreating in fear, remaining stuck, to the point of paralysis, or 3) seeking (sometimes desperately) unrealistic magical solutions, crystal ball gazers, fortune tellers or psychics to help foretell the future. Please join Rabbi Jacobson as he offers a 4125 year-old, time-tested formula for riding through the waves of uncertainty. Discover surprisingly simple methods and tools to build an "ark" tha

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 vulnerability is a liability.. But is that true? Is there anything positive about vulnerability? Would you be surprised to learn that vulnerability is actually -- and counter intuitively --  the secret to indestructibility?  Please join Rabbi Jacobson in a discussion that will upend your entire view on security, resilience and lasting strength. Discover an alternative way of looking at life; how your essential nature, and the very nature of existence, is a place that should not frighten us, a place where vulnerability should not be feared. Quite the contrary: It should be embraced and celebrated. And by doing so, l

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 choices and behaviors. With all these forces impacting and imposing themselves upon us, can you cut through the shrouds that often conceal what lies within, and discover the "real" you? The inner you? Please join Rabbi Jacobson in this not-to-be-missed pre-Yom Kippur program, including a special Yizkor memorial service, honoring and immortalizing the souls of our loved ones. Learn about the five dimensions of your soul, and how you can usually access three conscious levels -- the behavioral, the emotional and the cognitive -- but on one unique day of the year you have the ability to reach and actualize your very es

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 the new year bring? As we approach the New Year, discover how it provides us with a new perspective on today's events, and how our experiences during the past months can guide and empower us in forging a new reality.

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 take? Can we become proactive instead of reactive? Please join Rabbi Jacobson as he proposes ways to become proactive and take the initiative in leading your life and the life of those around you to a greater place. Discover a secret antidote to upheaval and disruption -- tools that can help you take complete control over your attitude and behavior even when events around us are not in our control. How you can find inner certainty and direction even in uncertain times.

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 His role in out lives. This includes the battles between reason and faith, science and religion. There is virtually no area in life where God does not come into the picture, and where we cannot find a consensus. We can't even agree whether G-d's existence can be proven.  Please join Rabbi Jacobson in this engaging talk as he challenges us to ask the biggest question of all: before we try to prove God's existence we must first establish: How do we define God? What is considered to be legitimate proof? What role do our subjective life experiences play in our attitude to God, for good or for bad? How do our prejudi

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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 body is a vehicle for the soul; its value lies there, not as an end unto itself. Many people today are health-conscious. We understand that being healthy makes us feel better, makes us more productive, and ultimately lengthens our lives. We realize that when we are healthy, we can concentrate on family and work, and the other things that are important to us. But most significantly, a healthy body allows you to concentrate on your soul, enabling you to fulfill your divine mission in this world and live a meaningful life.  Remember that the health of your body is dependent on the health of your soul. And it is y

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 what meaning does your life have and how invested will you be in your choices and decisions, which can't change your outcome? What hope is there for someone who is predestined to suffer? A life that is controlled by forces beyond ourselves essentially renders us powerless. All these issues are acutely amplified in these disruptive and uncertain times, when we are clearly not in control of of schedules and futures. Please join Rabbi Jacobson in this vital talk about the very meaning of our lives -- about the essence of our beings and our contributions. Are we pre-wired programmed machines, like the entire universe,

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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 lower his/her expectations, to the point of feeling resigned that s/he does not deserve to be loved and nurtured. As the child grows into an adult this lack of confidence haunts the development of healthy relationships. What can be done about this? Can you grow beyond your traumas and pains? Please join Rabbi Jacobson in this special Tisha B’Av program, and discover how this saddest day of the year paradoxically contains the secret to the most fundamental truths in life: How to rebuild trust after betrayal and regain hope after loss. Learn methods how to rise and grow from the ashes even when your “structures” may

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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 don't have Wimbledon to look forward to; I can't go watch my favorite baseball team play a competitive game with its arch-rival? Every deprivation allows you to see deeper truths about yourself: What are you like without the things you usually depend upon? What impact is it having on your life? How dependent are you on outer stimuli? Do you live vicariously through your heroes and stars? Do you know how to find inner inspiration? How do you strike a healthy balance between inner and outer stimuli? Please join Rabbi Jacobson as he dissects the anatomy of entertainment and examines the root causes of its powerful eff

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 a result of our own subjective perceptions and experiences? "Normal" for some people can even be unhealthy and toxic. Shouldn't the current disruptions and upheavals serve as an unprecedented opportunity to question and challenge our assumptions about what is truly important, valuable and... normal? Please join Rabbi Jacobson as he, in his inimitable style, challenges our "comfort zones" and our very definition of "normal" and other assumed truths. Discover how revisiting preconceived notions opens up surprisingly new perspectives and deeper truths. The upending of our previously-held givens in these times of cris

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 being judgmental. And yet, there are many judgmental people on this planet. More than we would like to admit. Are you one of them? Remember, you can also be overly judgmental of yourself. The big question to be asked is: why? Why is it so easy for a person to judge another? Who gave us that right? And what compels us to do so? Just because you disagree with someone, does that mean that you have to judge him? If you witness or hear about someone behaving in a way that seems wrong, how can you jump to a conclusion and judge that person without further investigation? And even if you establish that a wrong was done, ho

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.  Is this difference wired or acquired? is the way we deal with challenging situations based on our natural innate resources, is it due to parental and other formative influences, or can we be taught new ways how to cope with pressure? Please join Rabbi Jacobson in this special program, as he honors his great mentor by presenting methodologies that each of us can employ to access deeper resources within ourselves to face even the most daunting circumstances. Discover how pressure can actually draw out your greatest potential, your deepest and strengths. Remember, only extreme pressure turns carbon into diamond