Complicity + Our Imperfect History: A Pride-Inspired Drash
From Ash Levine When I first read this portion, I was deeply uncomfortable with the portrait it painted. Korach and his collaborators were living in a difficult moment. The Israelites had just learned that they wouldn’t be permitted to enter the promised land in their lifetimes. Moses had sole political leadership of the community, and […]
Honoring Our Collective Histories: A Pride-Inspired Drash
From Catherine Miller Shabbat shalom everyone. I’m excited to be on the “other side” of this Friday night shabbat stream for the first time. Now, I don’t know about you but saying HAPPY PRIDE right now feels strange. It feels inauthentic. Not only do we have a global pandemic but we also are witnessing a […]
On Whiteness, Police Brutality, and Mindful Unlearning
A few weeks ago, seventeen of our Mishkan community members, including members of our staff and our rabbis, took part in the Jewish Council on Urban Affairs’ racial justice training for Chicago-area congregations on a rainy Sunday, over Zoom (like all things nowadays). As a spiritual community, we had already gathered a small group back […]
Announcing Rabbi Deena Cowans
We are thrilled to announce that Rabbi Deena Cowans has accepted the Associate Rabbi position at Mishkan. Rabbi Deena, a Chicago native, wowed Mishkan community members and staff with her warmth, intelligence, and ability to build meaningful relationships with individuals and in groups. As the Family Programs Director at Congregation Ansche Chesed in NYC and […]
Chicago City Budget Vote Recap
On November 26, Chicago City Council passed a budget with a vote of 39-11. While the budget does include modest funding increases for mental health services and homelessness prevention, it does not reflect the values and priorities we and our allies at ONE Northside and the ReImagine Chicago Coalition have been pushing for. This budget […]
Justice Organizing Team: A City We Believe In
Budget Proposal Recap: Chicago’s Aldermen are currently reviewing Mayor Lightfoot’s budget proposals, with a deadline of December 31 set for the vote for the 2020 budget. Some of the key points are: – $50 million in cuts (a hiring slowdown, cuts in health spending and cuts to Fire Department overtime – $65 million from a […]
The Blast of Your Little Voice
Rosh HaShannah: The Blast of Your Little Voice By: Rabbi Lizzi Heydemann We learn from the parts of the story we focus on. We learn from the parts of the story we tell over and over again. – Hannah Gadsby Both of the stories we read this morning feature the stories of, and particularly the VOICES, […]
Spiritual Autobiography: Karen Jacobs
by: Karen Jacobs – Amirah Ruth תור הרימא June 5 2018 – 23 Sivan 5778 Almost thirty years ago, Andy Jacobs and I were married under a chuppah that I had created for our wedding day. It has hung every day since in our bedroom (except for the three times it was borrowed to bless […]
“Why am I spending High Holidays at a church in Uptown?”
We’d love to share a bit about the history of The Preston Bradley Center, why we choose to meet here for the Holidays, and acknowledge some of the unique (and yes, sometimes challenging) aspects of the space. The Preston Bradley Center was built in 1926 as the People’s Church, and is an historic building in […]