Contact Chai

Apr 09 2025 288 ep. 28 mins
Contact Chai Podcast artwork

Contact Chai is Mishkan Chicago’s podcast feed, where you can hear our Shabbat sermons, Morning Minyans, interviews with Jewish thought leaders, and more.

  Religion & Spirituality  Society & Culture
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Reading Ezra in an Age of Mass Deportation with Rabbi Sarah Bassin

Apr 09 2025 46 mins  
Rabbi Lizzi is joined by her friend Rabbi Sarah Bassin, Rabbi in Residence for HIAS. R’Sarah has developed a curriculum titled “Reading Ezra in an Age of Mass Deportation,” and she shared her insights into this alarming moment with our Morning Minyan crew. Every weekday at 8:00 am, Mishkan Chicago holds a virtual Morning Minyan. You can join in yourself, or listen to all the

Small Steps to Redemption

Apr 07 2025 19 mins  
Today’s episode is a Shabbat Replay of our service on April 5th. Rabbi Steven drashed on the power of the seder to both ground us in history, reminding us that our people have survived tyranny before, and to uplift our spirits, eating and drinking and remembering the joyful dance of Miriam. If you are looking for a seder, you’re in luck. We are so excited to announce that thank

Getting The Seder Ball Rolling

Apr 04 2025 37 mins  
Are you looking for a seder? We are so excited to announce that thanks to the generosity of Builder volunteers and our partners at OneTable, Mishkan is able to offer Community Hosted Seders this year. If you want to spend an inspired, down-to-earth evening with fellow Mishkanites, we would love to have you. These seders will be hosted in the homes of Builders all over the city (and

Spiritual Preparation for Passover

Apr 02 2025 19 mins  
Sell your chametz with this handy form! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeogC725eWYVK8mYF6SUuTzvUAQKXBjtU9VTAlmdsK6Cg593g/viewform Check out our Passover Programs, including "Ugh, I'm Bored!" a workshop with Rachel Mylan on engaging kids at your seder: https://www.mishkanchicago.org/events/category/holiday/ Join us for services at CJDS this Saturday, April 5th. Come early

Come Close to the Broken Heart

Mar 27 2025 38 mins  
Today's minyan features a new song by former Mishkan Leadership Fellow and current rock sensation Ezra Furman! "Come Close" by Ezra Furman: https://open.spotify.com/track/6qUhcvhfcdH2HqeVg9gjdM?si=723e2aa086ee4d7e 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

Building A Community And Harnessing The Power of AI

Mar 24 2025 26 mins  
Today’s episode is a Shabbat Replay of our Friday service on March 21st.Mishkan’s former board chair, Mark Achler, shared his considerable depth of knowledge on artificial intelligence, examining the ethics of this emerging technology from a Jewish lens. What are the positive — even lifesaving — applications of A.I.? How is A.I. already being exploited by the powerful? And

Making an Idol of Our Safety

Mar 19 2025 18 mins  
Today’s episode is a Shabbat Replay of our service on March 15th. Rabbi Steven delivered a stirring drash. In this moment of rising antisemitism and encroaching tyranny when free speech is being suppressed in the name of our safety, how do we respond? **** For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for info

Purim in America in 2025

Mar 12 2025 36 mins  
Today's minyan is an opportunity to spiritually prepare for Purim — featuring a drash by Rabbi Sharon Brous! 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 Contact Chai. https://mishkan.shulcloud.com/form/reg-morning-minyan-evergreen Become A Builder! https://www

Toward A Lasting Peace: Nadav Tamir and Ezzeldeen Masri

Mar 11 2025 48 mins  
At our March 7th service, we were joined by guest speakers Nadav Tamir, an accomplished Israeli diplomat who serves as J Street Israel’s Executive Director, and Ezzeldeen Masri, a respected Palestinian educator who serves the U.S. Director of Outreach for OneVoice Movement and serves as the Chief Field Officer for the PeaceWorks foundation. The pair spoke candidly with our commun

Next Stop: Interview with author Benjamin Resnick

Mar 07 2025 53 mins  
Join Rabbi Lizzi for an intimate conversation with Rabbi Benjamin Resnick on his provocative and timely novel, "Next Stop." In her review of Next Stop for the Jewish Book Council, Megan Peck Shub asks, “What would happen if, say, Israel collapsed into a black hole, triggering a global cataclysm that magnetically beckoned every Jewish person in the world? And what if the resulting