Mishkan Blog
(Jewish) Power: Fantasy, Reality, and Responsibility
This sermon was originally delivered at our Saturday morning service on March 16th. ... For us Jews, the classic holiday formula goes: they tried to kill us, we survived, let’s eat. Which is a passable summary of the Purim story – if we ignore the penultimate chapter....
After Catastrophe, Come Together (of Golden Calves and Making Mishkan)
This sermon was delivered at our Friday Night Shabbat service on March 8th, 2024. You can watch on Mishkan's YouTube channel or listen on the Contact Chai podcast. ... וַיַּקְהֵ֣ל מֹשֶׁ֗ה אֶֽת־כׇּל־עֲדַ֛ת בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֲלֵהֶ֑ם אֵ֚לֶּה הַדְּבָרִ֔ים...
Making Idols of Our Own Opinions
This sermon was delivered at our Saturday morning service on March 2nd. You can listen to this drash now on the latest episode of the Contact Chai podcast or watch on Mishkan's YouTube channel. ... I recently took a break from social media. It wasn’t a long break,...
Rabbi Lizzi’s Reflections On Four Days In Israel
I’ve been to Israel 20 times in the last 20 years, never for no reason, always for some purpose, whether to study Torah, visit a boyfriend, visit family, learn Hebrew, travel in the West Bank, do political touring, or staff a Honeymoon Israel trip. I’ve been for as...
Rabbi Lizzi’s First Sermon Post-Sabbatical
After a well-deserved sabbatical, Mishkan’s founding rabbi took to the bimah at our February 9th Friday Night Shabbat service. In a wide-ranging sermon, Rabbi Lizzi addressed the ongoing Israel-Hamas war and called on all of us to do the difficult work of believing...
To Remember To Forget
This sermon was delivered at our Friday night service on January 26th, 2024. You can watch it on Mishkan's YouTube channel or listen on the latest episode of the Contact Chai podcast. ... This week the Torah opens with the Israelites gathered at the edge of the Reed...
The Mitzvah of Hope
This sermon was delivered at our Saturday Morning Shabbat service on January 20th. You can listen on the Contact Chai Podcast or watch it on the Mishkan YouTube channel. ... Here is a seemingly simple question: what was the first commandment given to the Israelites?...
Mishkan Awarded Covenant Foundation Grant for Innovative BluePrint: Considering Conversion Program
We are thrilled to share the exciting news that Mishkan has been awarded a grant from the Covenant Foundation, in support of our innovative education program, BluePrint: Considering Conversion. The 2024 Covenant Foundation Ignition Grant builds upon the foundation...
Stories That Make Me Cry
This sermon was delivered at our virtual service on January 12th, 2024. You can watch it on YouTube or listen on the Contact Chai podcast. ... The Talmud (TB Chagigah 4b) records a conversation between the rabbis about which verses of the Bible make them cry. They...
Maggie’s Place Is Here For You
Mishkan is not only a place for prayer, music, and learning — we are also a community to turn to in times of need. That is where Maggie’s Place comes in. We are here to ensure you have support and resources when you feel mental illness or any of life’s struggles...
Our Teaching Philosophy at Mishkan and Mensch Academy
Our December 16th service was a Mensch Academy Student Showcase, an opportunity for caregivers and the Mishkan community to honor our students and their learning. Rabbi Steven took this opportunity to explain how we root our teaching philosophy in self-expression,...
Courageous Conversations about Israel
Tonight we mark the 7th night of Hanukkah and like the other holidays of this season, it reminds us of our ability to bring light into the world. The candles of the hanukkiah are not a denial of the long night ahead of us, they are a response to it – a refusal to meet...