AI vs. Man: Who Is Smarter?

What does the future hold? Will machines ultimately take over and replace man? Are we headed toward a doomsday and apocalyptic scenario? Or will all these new developments elevate the human race to a whole new level of higher consciousness? In this session you discover a refreshing approach to channel and embrace the new frontier that is upon us. These new technologies compel us to revisit the very nature of intelligence, and indeed the very nature of being human. What is the role and purpose of the mind? What defines us as humans? By exploring the deeper dimensions of knowledge and intelligence, we can learn to appreciate how to properly use artificial Intelligence and all its hidden potential for greatness to help us actualize our higher calling..

Putin, Passover and Ukraine

Are there parallels between Egypt and Russia? Between Passover and Putin’s invasion of Ukraine? What can we learn from the Exodus on how to deal with today’s war?

Growing through Challenges

3334 years have passed since the Jewish people were freed from their Egyptian oppression. Over the following three millennia of history the Jews have endured persecution after persecution, annihilation, expulsion, discrimination of every sort. And yet the Jewish people have not just survived, but thrived. Passover night we sing: This is what has stood by our fathers and us! For not just one alone has risen against us to destroy us, but in every generation they rise against us to destroy us; and the Holy One, blessed be He, saves us from their hand! What lessons can we learn today from the Egyptian exile and liberation? What is the formula for resilience and becoming stronger through challenges?

What a Year It Has Been…Has the World Changed Forever

A year like this does not come very often. Disruption on every front. Global upheaval. Health. Economic. Political. Leadership. Travel. Leisure. Uncertainty hanging over us like a dark cloud. Tentativeness in the air. What will the next few months bring? What will the future be like? This session will offer a fresh perspective on today’s events, and how our experiences during the past months can guide and empower us in forging a new reality. Discover powerful lessons and tools to face our current challenges.

How Disruptions Lead to a New World Order

Covid, rioting, violence, anger, chaos, political polarization.. Such is the current climate and behavior in the USA. How did we end up with this large divide in a magnificent country? What are we to make of the upheavals of our times? And where do we go from here? The silver lining in any disruption and upheaval, is it presents an opening and opportunity for growth and positive change. It serves as a wake up call to challenge our leaders and ourselves toward progress. In our current situation, first and foremost we must remember that we are all the children of God and respect each other’s differences while appreciating that we are all part of one union. All people, regardless of background, religion, race or political persuasion must declare that we are all created equal, that E Pluribus Unum. Despite our differences, let us connect and unite like never before. Join Rabbi Jacobson and learn how together we can – and must – use this unprecedented time to create a new world order, to spread goodness, kindness and unity. The future is in our hands. How will we react?

What Will the New Normal Look Like? Reclaiming Yourself

Everybody is now asking the big question: When will life go back to normal? What will the new norm look like? Will anything change? But the bigger question we should be asking is: What exactly is “normal”? Is “normal” defined by the usual routines and patterns we are accustomed to? How do we really know that the conditions we consider to be “norms” are actually true and real? Perhaps they are just a result of our own subjective perceptions and experiences? “Normal” for some people can even be unhealthy and toxic. Shouldn’t the current disruptions and upheavals serve as an unprecedented opportunity to question and challenge our assumptions about what is truly important, valuable and… normal? Please join Rabbi Jacobson as he, in his inimitable style, challenges our “comfort zones” and our very definition of “normal” and other assumed truths. Discover how revisiting preconceived notions opens up surprisingly new perspectives and deeper truths. The upending of our previously-held givens in these times of crisis allows you to see the bigger picture, and recognize a far more expansive “normal” — and reclaim yourself in the process.

How to Plan for an Unknown Future

Why does the unknown unnerve and frighten us? Is it possible that we have become so accustomed and attached — even addicted — to our knowable and predictable comfort zones, that now, when they are disrupted, we cannot easily embrace the unknown? Has our prosperity and high standard of living distracted and caused us to forget the awe of the unknown? Is our need for control a result of deeper insecurities — relying on impermanent things for safety? Do you know how to let go and celebrate your vulnerability? In this session Rabbi Simon Jacobson will take on an extraordinary journey into the deeper mysteries of life, and learn how to embrace the mystique and grandeur of the unknown. Discover how we gain true control when we let go of control. How the unknowable works hand-in-hand with the knowable, as the unconscious works hand-in-hand with the conscious — weaving together an exquisite and exhilarating picture of true reality. Are You Judgmental? Why is it so easy for a person to judge another? Who gave us that right? And what compels us to do so? Is it possible that judging others is a defense mechanism; a way of elevating ourselves and feeling superior? Is being judgmental ever appropriate? In this session Rabbi Jacobson addresses a topic deeply relevant to our times of personal and cultural upheaval. Discover how to look at yourself with a new set of eyes, and what questions to ask that help you identify the roots of judgmentalism, and distinguish between genuine respect for higher standards and rejection of negative behavior, while not resorting and stooping to judgment. And above all, learn how judgmentalism is a product of shallow and superficial attitudes, and at the end of the day, coming in touch with your core essence builds your self-esteem, which in turn helps you recognize the core essence of others, allowing you to see them in a positive light.

How the Pandemic Will Change Us  

The changes we have lived through in the pandemic seem unprecedented, but the deep well of human history is filled with examples of humanity responding to massive crises, from Biblical plagues to wars against Nazism and totalitarianism. Rabbi Jacobson discusses what the pandemic has taught us about the human condition, and its long-term impacts on society.  

Anti-Semitism on the Rise: Is History Repeating Itself?

How to Disagree Without Hate 

In a nation torn by political and racial strife, sage and spiritual leader Rabbi Simon Jacobson offers a refreshing — even revolutionary — new perspective to our current dilemma. He gives direction on how we can stop the mud-slinging grudge match of politics from infecting our health and relationships, along with practical things we can each do to be part of the solution, instead of part of the problem.  

How to Heal Our Country 

More than 80 million people voted for Joe Biden and more than 74 million voted for Donald Trump. Our country is clearly split. How can we move past divisiveness and partisan politics and pave a path forward? With the catch phrase, “It’s time to heal” being thrown about, Rabbi Jacobson is here to discuss practical ways to build a movement that transcends partisanship and embraces the unibus pluram. Discover ways to not become polluted by the prejudices that are tearing up our country. 

The Jewish Response to Racism

How do we fight racism and oppression? Do we wage war or do we surrender? Do we pray or do we escape? Is there a long-term solution to prejudice and discrimination? The best answer for any dilemma, especially one as serious and long-term as this, is to look back at history and see how hatred and persecution was addressed in the past, who was successful at dealing with it, and what results it yielded. The Jewish people are the best model to turn to in such times. Close to four millennia the Jews suffered every possible form of oppression and abuse — enslavement, forced labor, discrimination, expulsion, extermination. From the Egyptian bondage to the destruction wreaked by the Babylonians and the Romans, from the Crusades to the Inquisition, from the Middle Age massacres to the pogroms to the Holocaust, there is barely a period in which Jews weren’t under attack. How did they survive? How did they thrive? How did they endure and outlast all their persecutors, and become the great nation they are till this very day, influencing the world far beyond their numbers? Join Rabbi Simon Jacobson is this critically important and timely program and discover what 3800 years of time-tested history and wisdom teaches us about growing through oppression, and becoming the greatest possible people we can be.

Religious Stereotypes: The God You Don’t Believe In…

A Candid Conversation on Faith, God, Miracles and Good and Evil

Is God Relevant Today?

In the last few centuries science and reason have challenged and in some ways rejected and supplanted G0d, faith and religion. Might there be another way of understanding the nature of belief, and reconciling it with our modern secular culture?

The Kabbalah of Physics: Where Science Meets Spirit

Rabbi Jacobson takes concepts in physics and demonstrates their parallels and origins in Kabbalistic, mystical and Torah teachings.

Gematria For Beginners: The Art and Science Behind Jewish Numerology

We all know — and science is making it increasingly clear — that what you see is not what you get: There are multiple dimensions to life and all of existence; layers upon layers with no definitive end in sight. How far down does the rabbit hole go? Can we strip the outer layers and peer beneath the surface? The ultimate class – applying ancient teachings to current events – provides lessons to transform your personal life.

Addicted and Depressed: How to Break Free  

Rabbi Jacobson discusses the role of spirituality in recovery from addiction, depression, and anxiety, along with how to “listen to the cry of your soul,” access a higher power, and live a life of meaning — despite physical, emotional and mental barriers. 

Stronger in the Broken Places: 3 Ways to Build Resilience

Build resilience and rebound from a place of being broken with these three steps by Rabbi Simon Jacobson.

The Soul of Sexuality: Can I Find Eternal Love?  

We live in a time of crisis for intimacy and relationships. Marriage rates in the west are plummeting, and for those that do take the plunge, almost half end up getting divorced. Discover what 4,000 years of Jewish wisdom says about the art of love and the soul of marriage; igniting the passionate spark of intimacy, resolving conflicts at home, and finding and maintaining fulfilling relationships. Learn how to access the cosmic power of sexuality and how to ride the rollercoaster of married life. For singles and couples alike. 

Coal To Diamond: How Do You React Under Pressure?

Crisis and pressure brings out the best in some people and the worst in others. Many lose their composure and confidence when squeezed. They get overwhelmed and can even crumble under pressure. And there are those that maintain their balance and calm; some even rise to the occasion in stressful situations. Is this difference wired or acquired? is the way we deal with challenging situations based on our natural innate resources, is it due to parental and other formative influences, or can we be taught new ways how to cope with pressure? Please join Rabbi Jacobson as he presents methodologies that each of us can employ to access inner resources within ourselves to face even the most daunting circumstances. Discover how pressure can actually draw out your greatest potential, your deepest powers and strength. Remember, only extreme pressure turns carbon into diamond; only when you press an olive does it produce oil; and like a teabag, you don’t know how strong you are until you find yourself in hot water…

Unclutter Your Soul: Things to Get Out of Your Life  

How many things do you do on a daily basis simply out of habit, conformity, expectations (real or imagined), fear, and other forces that may have nothing to do with what is best for you? Rabbi Jacobson shares a checklist to help people determine their priorities, ditch what is holding them back, and make room for the things that will allow them to grow and flourish.  

Fear & Anxiety: Conquering the Enemies Within  

Fear, anxiety, and depression are underlying factors that drive much of human behavior today, and yet they are among the most misunderstood forces in people’s lives. In their most acute form, they paralyze us. How can we conquer these forces? Rabbi Jacobson offers insights based on his studies of 4,000 years of history and faith wisdom, and his four decades of work helping people achieve meaningful lives.  

How to Forgive When You Can’t Forget (or, How to Forget when you can’t Forgive)

Many of us carry painful memories of hurtful experiences in our pasts. Some of these memories remain etched in our psyches, at times haunting and disrupting our lives. How many of our emotional fears, insecurities and trust issues are a result of old scars? How then can we move on from these deep wounds? Is it possible to forgive if you cannot forget? Rabbi Jacobson tackles these big questions and offers a method and formula for not allowing painful memories define who you are; not allowing your past define your future. Discover the power of forgiveness.

Is Your Self-Worth Defined By Your Net-Worth? Future Economics   

A New Model from Aristotle to Calvin, Max Weber to Adam Smith and Karl Marx, philosophers and political scientists throughout history have tried to understand the meaning of money, its effects on a society, and how to build a co-existing community within the context of self-interest and financial competition. This session will analyze these conflicting systems and offer a third, revolutionary, economic model – based on Torah thought – which synthesizes the best of all approaches.  

Is Social Media the Most Dangerous Weapon Today?

Rabbi Jacobson discusses how social media has taken on a life of its own, gaining power and influence. Learn how we can – and must – use this opportunity to spread goodness and kindness instead of hatred and division.

Will Women and Men Ever See Eye to Eye? Ancient Wisdom for Modern-Day Solutions

As far back as history goes the male/female dynamic has been at the core of human relationships. Love, intimacy, family, home — the very perpetuation of our species — is build upon the connection between the two genders. The health of a society can be measured by the way they interact. Men and women in harmony produce the most beautiful fruit. When they are at war the ugliness is hard to bear. Is there a secret formula for creating a healthy union between the two? If there is, it remains as elusive as it is mysterious. Can men and women ever see eye to eye? Rabbi Jacobson offers an eye-opening presentation exploring the spiritual roots of masculine and feminine energy.

What Memorizing Has Taught me about Life and Love 

Embedded in each one of us is a hidden resource and ability, which we most likely are unaware of, to expand our horizons and achieve excellence in virtually every area of life. The way to do this is to learn how to listen — to truly listen and absorb experiences that are beyond our own subjective parameters. By changing the way we listen to one another, we can create the ultimate relationship based on absorption and then processing so that changing how we communicate can also change how we remember and love. 

Freedom, Individuality and the Common Good: How to Balance Individual Expression and Self-Interest with the Cooperation Needed for Coexistence and Complementation

The first millennium was marked by a focus on the collective, with little attention paid to the individual. In the second millennium – coined by some as the “me millennium” – individuality came racing to the fore with a vengeance. But the question today is: How to we reconcile individual needs and the collective good. This struggle is amplified in today’s age of prosperity and technology. This session will explore the different approaches to the role played by government and laws that regulate the private and public sectors, and shed light a new way that Judaism offers us to bridge the individual and the community.

Education: How to Think; Not What to Think

Perhaps the greatest influence over one’s life is one’s education. So how come no one can agree on what the ideal education looks like? Should there be G-d in the classroom? Should there be classrooms? Are schools providing us with the most important tools for us to experience life? Are we teaching our children how to make a few bucks or how to make a difference? A true education — an education for life — consists of teaching children that they have an uncompromising responsibility to G-d to live morally and ethically, which will sustain them individually and create a better world for their children and for generations to come.

Toward a Meaningful Life: Universal Jewish Life-Skills

Discover methods and practical applications to integrate modern life with higher meaning; to fuse ritual with spiritual. Learn techniques that will help you discover your own personal mission statement, which in turn infuses each aspect of your life with higher consciousness – from personal growth to loving relationships; from home and family to work and wealth; from life’s shadows to the role of God in our lives; from technology to psychology.

3 Keys to Building a Meaningful Life  

Want to live a life with less angst, worry, and stress? Rabbi Jacobson shares how we can build inner strength by helping others, developing a personal mission statement, and becoming “radical warriors for goodness and kindness.”  

The Fourth Revolution: An Historical Overview of Spirituality  

With history as a backdrop, from the agricultural revolution to the industrial revolution and the present computer and information revolution, this session will identify the fourth and final frontier: the spiritual revolution. Recognizing this new era will help us discover forward-thinking measures that will not only stem the tide of resignation but introduce new vitality into our lives and institutions, carrying us through this new millennium and effecting global change.  

Dancing with God: The Ecstasy of Jewish Mysticism 

The Energy of Kabbalah and Chassidus Kabbalah is shrouded in mystery and controversy. This session will take us on a journey into the soul of Jewish spirituality, training us in the inner workings of our personal and cosmic psyches. Learn to access joy even when life is cruel, and uncover hidden strengths embedded in our souls. Discover how to use the divine gifts of song and love as tools to reconnect to the Source, turning your life into a perpetual dance.  

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Judaism But Were Afraid to Ask

Sexuality, Cremation, Abortion and Other Controversial Issues of Our Time

Who Are You: Id Or Yid? A New Psychological Model

What is the driving force within each of us – selfishness or selflessness? Freud and Darwin are the primary authorities on the nature of modern man: ‘Survival of the fittest’ is the cardinal rule of all life, with superimposed rules to allow for coexistence. This session will reveal the surprising true father of modern psychology. Discover an alternative, upbeat view of the human psyche. Your expectations of yourself and others will never be the same.

Do You Have a Personal Mission Statement? Learning How to Develop Your Calling in Life

A business cannot function without a mission statement. Can you? Unearthing your own mission is no easy feat. Thankfully, we are given many signs and directions on how to do so. The key factors involved are: Personality, Opportunity, People, and Places. Therein lies the key to discovering your particular mission: Look closely at your life experiences and you will see patterns emerge that will direct you toward your calling.

The 21st Century Jew

Things are changing at breakneck speed. In 2019, our world is unrecognizable from the world we inhabited even as recently as a decade ago. Technology in particular has changed the way we talk, travel, work, love and live. These changes have improved our lives in countless ways, but they also pose distinct challenges and problems. Instead of bringing people together they are pulling people apart. Instead of making our lives simpler, they are making our lives immeasurably more complex.How do we navigate these changes? How do we harness them for positive transformation? How do we build families, live meaningful lives and contribute to our communities? And – as Jews have done throughout history – how do we continue driving progress within society at large? Rabbi Simon Jacobson lays out a unique Jewish roadmap for being our best selves and building our best world.

DNA of Your Soul: The Original 4000-Year-Old 7 Step Program

In this intimate, introspective and interactive session Rabbi Jacobson will dissect the core emotional energies that make you tick. Take a journey back to your childhood — retracing the steps to the original point when these faculties were at there purest and most innocent. Followed by the experiences that distorted your perceptions and feelings, concluding with tools to release and reclaim the beautiful child trapped in your adult body.

Can We Bridge Faith and Modernity? A Frank Discussion on Jewish Relevance to Our Lives Today

With a steep decline in Jewish affiliation and a 50% intermarriage rate, everyone is searching for the solution to guarantee Jewish continuity. A deep disparity exists between Jewish tradition and personal relevance. 60% of Buddhists in America are Jewish, and the observant Jewish life seems to be dogmatic, insulated and not all-inclusive. This session will address the single most important challenge of our times: Can Judaism be personally relevant, spiritually passionate and fashionable for our times?

Bringing Heaven Down to Earth: Spirituality Confronts Reality

Description: This session will explore whether religion and spirituality can really be reconciled. Can religious or spiritual beliefs and practices really improve health, well-being, and longevity? We will consider the wider application of meditative practices within society, and question the commercialization of spirituality.

Was Moses Orthodox, Conservative or Reform? The Secret to Jewish Unity and How We Can Eradicate Divisiveness

What defines Jewish identity? Differing opinions have brought on condescension and divisiveness that rips apart communities, families and cultures. Unity, Ahavat Yisroel, is the cornerstone of Judaism; peace, shalom, is our greatest blessing. Indeed, the Temple was destroyed because of baseless hate. This session will cover the erosive roots of divisiveness and offer fresh ways how we can reintroduce a spirit of love – knowing that we are all parts of one spiritual organism.

Who Gave the Rabbis All Their Power? 

Is the entire spectrum of Jewish life based on the whim of a few rabbis 1500 years ago? Why should we listen to them now?

Does Prayer Work?

Depending on the tradition that you grew up with, prayer might seem like any of these negative adjectives: Trite, superficial, stiff, too organized, impersonal, boring, waste of time… And I’m sure maybe of us can add our own words to the list. What IS prayer? And do my prayers work? Is someone listening? Does God even care? Prayer is not about what God wants from us. Rather, prayer is about you want from your connection to God.  It is very effective. It is free, and you can do it anytime and anywhere.

“I Am a Jew”

The brazen attacks on Jews simply because they are Jewish bring back age-old questions: Why do they hate us so? And what can we do about it? Over the centuries, thinkers and scholars, politicians and journalists, have grappled with the question of the “Jewish problem” — a foreign people living among the world’s nations. But one European leader offered another solution. Czech President Milos Zeman declared that “now we all must say ‘I am a Jew. Ani Yehudi.’” Instead of eliminating the Jew, President Zeman suggested embracing the Jew. Was he aware of the profundity, the gravity, of his approach? Rabbi Simon Jacobson presents how the true root of anti-Semitism is deeply embedded in fear of the divine change a Jew can bring to the world, and how the solution is thus to dispel this fear by integrating, not rejecting, what the Jew – the Yehudi – stands for.

How to Deal with Apathy Towards Judaism

We have all been there. We have all had those days, weeks or even months when we were just “not feeling it”.  An overwhelming apathy towards Judaism, or even life in general. At the very least, we all know someone apathetic towards religion. Rabbi Simon Jacobson discusses how to overcome these challenges as they arise and how to be a healthier and happier you!

Will There Ever Be Peace in the Middle East?

Most, if not all, politicians, analysts, pundits and commentators — and nearly everyone else — have long given up hope on any comprehensive solution. After all we have witnessed, after all the attempts at peace, one need not even be a cynic be to be skeptical about the prospects. Rabbi Jacobson offers a provocative presentation on a radical new approach. One that combines peace out of strength and a bold vision of the future. The true battle, he argues, is not with missiles and ammunition, but in the homes and schools that control and shape the impressionable minds of the next generation. Acknowledging that this may be a “naive” approach, Rabbi Jacobson contends that if enough of us can create a grassroots revolution, which challenges the status quo of the powers that be, we can indeed create true and lasting change, and ultimately establish a permanent peace.

The Kabbalah of Today’s Global Conflicts: The Battles between Islam, Christianity and Judaism

Tracing the Biblical, historical and mystical roots of what some have coined the “clash of civilizations,” this session will address the fascinating parallels of our current confrontations to the millennia old tensions between Christianity, Islam and Judaism. Going all the way back to the struggles in the homes of Abraham, Isaac and Ishmael, Jacob and Esau, you will discover new ways to relate with our ancient ancestors. And how each of us can affect world events through our own actions.

Middle East Turmoil: What Does it All Mean? A Historical/Spiritual Perspective

What are we to make of the recent upheavals in the Middle East and how are they going to play out across the rest of the world? Should we be concerned? How will it impact Israel? What does the future hold? The media is weighing in on the immediate and short-term consequences of this turmoil. But there is a bigger picture – a broader perspective. When you think about it, these latest uprisings should not surprise us: After all, this region has been fraught with battles since the beginning of time! But what lies behind all these upheavals, and where are they leading? You may be surprised to discover that these events — in a broad sense — have been foretold in Biblical texts. Please join Rabbi Jacobson tonight in a dramatic discussion exploring the roots of the current turmoil, and the unique birds’ eye perspective the Torah offers us on the meaning of these events and what we should do about them.

The story behind the book, Toward a Meaningful Life: The Wisdom of the Rebbe, and the tremendous response from readers

The Rebbe: An Immortal Legacy

Why the Rebbe is Relevant to Your Life Today

The First 21st Century Leader: How the Rebbe Can Help You Live A Meaningful Life

The Rebbe’s Revolutionary Vision for Our Lives Today

The Rebbe and His Message: A New Paradigm For Our Times Built on over 3300 Years of Torah

Judaism for the 21st Century: A Blueprint for Global Transformation

The Lubavitcher Rebbe’s Visionary Approach to Issues Facing the Jewish People

What would schools and yeshiva ran by the Baal Shem Tov look like?