Contact Chai

Division and the Divine Image — On Zohran Mamdani's 10/7 Vigil

Today's episode is a Shabbat Replay of our service on October 10th, when Rabbi Steven delivered a drash reflecting on the polarized reception to an October 7th vigil

Reflections On October 7th — Morning Minyan

On the anniversary of October 7th, we gathered to reflect on poetry and prayers written about the evil endured on this day, the cruelties inflicted afterward, and our und

Sukkot Hallel — Morning Minyan

Every weekday at 8:00 am, Mishkan Chicago holds a virtual Morning Minyan. You can join in yourself, or listen to all the prayer, music, and inspiration right here on Cont

The Symbolism of Sukkot — Morning Minyan

You can watch our Yizkor service and slideshow from Yom Kippur 5787 here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QlcUpDVahWE Every weekday at 8:00 am, Mishkan Chicago holds a

Six Jewish Values To Remember in America in 5787

The year is new but the problems are ancient! At Yom Kippur 5787, Rabbi Lizzi looked to Torah and tradition for precedent and prescriptions for our modern woes. Do you a

We Live Or Die Together — Rabbi Steven | Kol Nidre 5787

At our Kol Nidre service, Rabbi Steven examined the growing divisions tearing the Jewish people apart and drew from history to offer a path forward. Do you appreciate th

God Metaphors & Kol Nidre — Morning Minyan

Every weekday at 8:00 am, Mishkan Chicago holds a virtual Morning Minyan. You can join in yourself, or listen to all the prayer, music, and inspiration right here on Cont

The Redemptive Promise of the Oscillating Narrative — Rabbi Lizzi | Rosh Hashanah 5787

At our Rosh Hashanah 5787 service, Rabbi Lizzi Heydemann delivered a sermon on the lessons our ancestors provide us in this fraught political moment. Join us for the Hig

My Prayer Didn’t Work — R' Julie Fishbach | Erev Rosh Hashanah 5787

In her inaugural High Holiday sermon at Mishkan, Rabbi Julie Fishbach delivered a surprising drash on the history of prayer. Join us for the High Holy Days! Whether you

Opening The High Holidays — Rerelease

In this special episode recovered from The Mishkan Vault, Rabbi Lizzi speaks with renowned tech entrepreneur Harry Gottlieb about the spiritual technology of teshuvah and

This is Real and You are Completely Unprepared — Morning Minyan

Rabbi Lizzi read a passage on Selichot from Rabbi Alan Lew's classic This is Real And You Are Completely Unprepared, prompting a vulnerable discussion on how hard it

Breathing Our Way To Closeness With God — Morning Minyan

Every weekday at 8:00 am, Mishkan Chicago holds a virtual Morning Minyan. You can join in yourself, or listen to all the prayer, music, and inspiration right here on Cont

Morning Minyan — Ki Teitzei

Every weekday at 8:00 am, Mishkan Chicago holds a virtual Morning Minyan. You can join in yourself, or listen to all the prayer, music, and inspiration right here on Cont

Adira Happens — Morning Minyan

Like the mighty Leviathan, Adira rises from the depths to sow adorable chaos. Plus, reflections on the Psalms, media consumption, and Parshat Shoftim. Every weekday at 8

Building My Judaism — Manuel Gauto

Today’s episode is a Shabbat Replay of our service on August 7th, when we celebrated our graduating BluePrint students who explored Judaism this past year, many of them g

When Judaism Began — Rabbi Steven Bob

When did ancient Paleo-Hebrew script start to look like modern Hebrew letters? When did Judaism as we know it begin to take shape? Rabbi Simcha (Steven) Bob joins Rabbi L

The Spiritual Danger of Abundance

Hello and welcome to Contact Chai. Today’s episode is a Shabbat Replay of our service on Saturday, August 1st. We heard a guest drash from Irwin Lowenstein on the challen

Eat And Be Satisfied — Rabbi Lizzi Returns!

Every weekday at 8:00 am, Mishkan Chicago holds a virtual Morning Minyan. You can join in yourself, or listen to all the prayer, music, and inspiration right here on Cont

Tisha b'Av: Same Goals, Same God, Different Ways Of Getting There (Re-Release)

This evening marks the beginning of Tisha b'Av, and in recognition, today's episode is a re-release of Rabbi Lizzi's Tisha b'Av sermon from 2022 at an

Pride Shabbat! Ft. Daniel Kutcher and A Very Mishkan Auf Ruf

Today’s episode is a Shabbat Replay of our Pride Shabbat service on June 26th. We held an auf ruf for Team Mishkan’s own Michael Palmer and Jane Mintz. Then, we heard a s