Mishkan Blog
Hope Is Not An Option — It’s An Obligation
This sermon was delivered at our Friday Night Shabbat service on January 10th, 2025. You can listen to this sermon on Contact Chai podcast or watch on Mishkan's YouTube channel. **** I woke up on Wednesday with a sore throat, which is not unusual when I’m on vacation...
Creating Our Own Light
This sermon was originally delivered at our December 21st Saturday morning service. You can listen on Contact Chai podcast or watch on Mishkan's YouTube channel. **** There’s a Christmas tree in my living room. To be transparent, it’s there because I put it there....
Overcoming Vengeance: Esau and the Maccabees
This sermon was delivered at our Friday service on December 13th. You can watch it on Mishkan's YouTube channel or listen on Contact Chai podcast. **** Every week, when rabbis set up to write sermons for Shabbat, there’s always a lot that feeds into the process. First...
Seeking Small Wonders
This sermon was delivered at our Saturday morning service on December 7th, 2024. You can listen on Contact Chai podcast or watch now on Mishkan's YouTube channel. **** My mother and I have a tradition of traveling every year for Thanksgiving, in part because both of...
Saving Ourselves From Being Like Sodom
This sermon was delivered at our services on November 15th and 16th. You can listen to this sermon on Contact Chai podcast or watch it on Mishkan's YouTube channel. **** We see one of the most iconic conversations in all of history, certainly in Biblical history,...
This Is Not The Time To Give Up
This sermon was delivered at our Friday Night Shabbat service on November 8th. You can listen this sermon on Contact Chai podcast or watch it on Mishkan's YouTube channel. **** Perhaps it was naive of me to go to bed on Tuesday with a sense of optimism. We all knew it...
You Are Not Alone
Many of us woke up this morning to a pit in our stomach and at a loss for words. Almost 70 people joined us this morning in our minyan to sing, breathe and pray through the incredulity, fear and uncertainty of this moment and a sense of foreboding at what the years...
The Book of Meh — Guest D’var by Aidan Gilbert
This d'var was delivered at our 5785 Yom Kippur service. You can watch it now on Mishkan's YouTube channel or listen on Contact Chai podcast. **** Shabbat shalom and Good Yontif. On Rosh Hashanah it is written, and on Yom Kippur it is sealed: How many shall pass...
Fertility Journey — Guest Speaker Reflection by Stephanie Goldfarb
These remarks were delivered at Mishkan's 5785 Rosh Hashanah service. You can watch them on Mishkan's YouTube channel or listen on Contact Chai podcast. **** At this time last year, and for the last four years, I sat in high holiday services trying my very best to...
Expressing Our Gratitude — High Holidays 5785
Your High Holiday Experience Thank you so much for choosing to spend your High Holidays with Mishkan Chicago! Whether you watched the live-stream, attended the in-person service, or dropped into one of our family programs, we would love to hear your feedback about...
No Bad Jews — R’Steven Yom Kippur Sermon
This sermon was delivered at Mishkan's 5785 Yom Kippur service. You can watch it on Mishkan's YouTube channel or listen on Contact Chai podcast. **** When I’m out and about and other members of the tribe find out what I do for work, nine times out of ten they’ll tell...
Sabbatical and Sustainability — R’Lizzi Kol Nidre Sermon
This sermon was delivered at Mishkan's 5785 Kol Nidre service. You can listen to this sermon on Contact Chai podcast or watch the sermon on Mishkan Chicago's YouTube channel. **** In December of 2016, for the last episode of the year on John Oliver’s show Last Week...