Meaningful Life Skills with Rabbi Simon Jacobson

Every healthy organization, every company, every living organism needs moments to stop and take stock.
How are we doing? What worked? What didn’t? What can we learn? What needs to be repaired? And most importantly: How do we take those lessons and create a better future?
This time of year gives us that opportunity. It is a season of reflection, introspection, and soul-searching.
But true reflection requires two essential ingredients.
First, accountability—the courage to look honestly at our lives. To acknowledge what we’ve been blessed with and express gratitude, while also having the honesty to recognize what needs repair and where we can do better.
And then comes the second step: renewal. We cannot remain trapped in the past. Reflection is not about looking backward for its own sake; it is about looking back so we can move forward—with greater clarity, purpose, and intention.
Please join Rabbi Simon Jacobson as we mark this important milestone in our lives: From Reflection to Renewal: Looking Back with Gratitude. Moving Forward with Purpose.

One of the most universal questions human beings have ever asked is: Where is G-d? Where and how can I find Him?
From the beginning of history, people have searched for answers—in books and debates, in songs and poetry, even through wars fought in G-d’s name.
Recently, I asked one of my young grandchildren, “Where is G-d?” He answered, “G-d is invisible. He’s everywhere.”
Is that the answer?
Perhaps we need to revisit our very understanding of G-d and where His presence can be found. Perhaps the deeper truth is that we don’t have to search for G-d at all. He is already here. The question is: Are we open to letting Him in?
Please join Rabbi Simon Jacobson for this vital discussion as we explore the timeless teaching of the Kotzker Rebbe, who, when asked, “Where is G-d?” answered: “Wherever you let Him in.”

If you could change one thing in your life, what would it be?
It’s an important question. But there’s an even bigger one: Is real change actually possible?
Our habits, patterns, routines, and the inertia of the status quo can hold tremendous power over us. We may want to change, but somehow find ourselves returning to the same place.
And yet, there are times when the energy for change is greater than usual—when we’re given the opportunity to transcend our past, access deeper dimensions within ourselves, and become who we were meant to be.
That time begins now.
The next 60 days are a journey—from where you are to where you can be. A journey of recognizing your potential and beginning to actualize it.
We call it the 60-Day Journey—the period we know as the High Holiday season. But rather than simply a season on the calendar, see it as an opportunity: a window to create real, lasting change.
Please join Rabbi Simon Jacobson for a timely and powerful discussion on how to access the dimensions within yourself you may have thought were beyond reach. Your next 60 days could change everything.

Two vivid memories from my childhood summers have never left me.
I remember being in the bungalow colony after a rainfall, rushing outside in search of the orange salamanders. The green ones were common, especially near the lake—but finding an orange one felt like discovering hidden treasure. I remember gently holding one in my hand. It was soft. Delicate. Beautiful.
And then there were the ladybugs—bright orange with their black dots. One would land on your hand, linger for a moment, and then suddenly spread its wings and fly away.
I often think about the sense of awe those moments awakened. Everything felt magical. Every discovery was an adventure.
Then I ask myself: What happened to that wonder?
I saw it in my own children when they were young. I see it now in my grandchildren. That same sparkle. That same fascination with the smallest things. Yet somewhere along the way, many of us lose it.
Do we simply become more realistic? Or do we become more hardened, more distracted, more jaded? Do we mistake losing our innocence for growing up?
This is far more than a sentimental question. It affects the quality of our entire lives.
When people say they're bored, restless, searching for excitement, they're often searching for something much deeper. They're searching for what was once natural—the innocence, the purity, the sense that life itself was an unfolding miracle. Like untouched white snow before the first footprint. Like a world where every day held the promise of discovery.
Life certainly becomes more complex. We carry responsibilities, disappointments, and burdens. But the capacity for wonder was never meant to disappear.
And perhaps that's one of the gifts of summer. It has a way of stirring those childhood memories and reminding us that beneath all the layers we've accumulated, there remains a part of us that never stopped longing for the infinite. It may be buried, but it is never lost.
Please join Rabbi Simon Jacobson and discover that the more we reconnect with that place of awe, the richer our lives become. Our relationships deepen. Our happiness becomes more lasting. And the ordinary begins to reveal the extraordinary once again.

What role does empathy play in the healing process?
Healing has become one of the defining pursuits of our time. Whether through medicine, therapy, or countless approaches to emotional and psychological well-being, people everywhere are searching for ways to heal.
Yet there is one essential force that, while often acknowledged, is still profoundly underestimated: empathy.
You've probably heard of mirror neurons. Science has shown that we're wired to mirror one another's experiences. Watch someone accidentally slam a door on their fingers, God forbid, and you'll instinctively cringe. You may even cry out, "Ouch!" Though the pain isn't yours, you feel it because, in some way, you have entered their experience.
But what if empathy is more than a reflex? What if it's one of the most powerful healing forces we possess?
Can another person begin to heal simply because they know they're not alone? Because they feel deeply seen, understood, and held with genuine care and compassion?
Perhaps healing doesn't begin only with the right treatment. Perhaps it begins with the reassuring presence of another human being who truly feels your pain.
Please join Rabbi Simon Jacobson as we explore The Empathy Effect—how the simple act of feeling, listening, and caring can become a profound path to healing.