Contact Chai

Hello and welcome to Contact Chai. Today’s episode is a Shabbat Replay of our service on June 12th when Rabbi Steven delivered a sermon deflating the naive notion that progress is inevitable rather than the product of hard fought victories, like our spiritual ancestors setting out to vanquish Canaan who we read about in the parsha or our queer ancestors who struggled against bigotry who we honor during Pride month. How will we promise to carry forward a legacy of courage?

If you value this down-to-earth Jewish wisdom, help us create more inspiration and community by be...

Today’s episode is a Shabbat Replay of our service on June 6th. If you somehow missed the news, Rabbi Lizzi met the pope. The Vatican is not short supply of lavish iconography, and it got her thinking about the different relationships our traditions have with religious imagery. Because while Judaism is on guard against anything that smacks of idolatry, we have sacred symbols of our own. Can our reverence for these symbols as Jewish people or Americans border on idolatry?

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For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & In...

Today’s sermon is a Shabbat Replay of our Shavuot Shabbat service. We were joined by acclaimed author Rodger Kamenetz who served as our scholar-in-residence during Shavuot. Rodger delivered a sermon on the poetry of Torah. What sacred meaning can we uncover when we appreciate the artistic flourishes in the TaNaKh?

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For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates. To support Mishkan's important work of creating radically inclusive, down-to-earth, inspired Ju...

Today's episode is a Shabbat Replay of our service on May 16th in which Rabbi Lizzi drashed on the Counting of the Omer and the lead-up to Shavuot. Unfortunately, we had some technical problems at the service, but R' Lizzi was kind enough to re-record!

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For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates. To support Mishkan's important work of creating radically inclusive, down-to-earth, inspired Judaism, we invite you to join...

Following Morning Minyan, Rabbi Lizzi sat down with Nigel Savage to discuss Jewish Climate Trust, a new initiative to organize the resources of the Jewish community toward meeting the moment on climate change.

Nigel is the founding CEO of Jewish Climate Trust, a “think-and-do tank” working to catalyze the Jewish community’s response to the climate crisis; he was previously the founder of Hazon (now Adamah) which under his leadership became the largest environmental organization in the Jewish community. He has twice been named a member of the Forward 50 and was awarded an honorary doctorate by the...

Rabbi Lizzi sits down with Alan Morinis, author of the enormously popular and profound "Everyday Holiness: The Jewish Spiritual Path of Mussar."

Read more about Alan and purchase his latest book "The Shabbat Effect" at the link below.

https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/shabbat-effect-9798881807870/

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For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates. To support Mishkan's important work of creating radically inclusive, down-to-earth, inspired Judaism, we invite...

Today’s episode is a Shabbat Replay of our service on May 8th when we heard a guest drash from Builder Ricky Halle-Podell. As part of our Sober Shabbat in which we had a sober kiddush, Ricky spoke on his own sobriety journey, offering insights into the spiritual practices of recovery programs which we can all learn from.

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For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates. To support Mishkan's important wo...

Rodger Kamenetz is the award-winning author of The Jew In The Lotus, and he will be joining us in two weeks for Shavuot to teach several programs on spirituality, creativity, and encountering the divine in our daily lives. Rabbi Lizzi spoke with Rodger during Morning Minyan — this is your chance to get to know him before he joins us in-person May 21st - 23rd!

Read more about and purchase Rodger's latest book, Seeing Into the Life of Things, to prepare for our learning with him:

https://kamenetz.com/seeing-into-the-life-of-things/

See our Shavuot Programming:

Today’s episode is a Shabbat Replay of our service on May 2nd. Rabbi Lizzi delivered a drash on a criminal trial recorded in the Torah. The judgment was capital punishment, but new light is shed on the accused’s motivation and state of mind by later Rabbinic commentary, reminding us to interrogate our assumptions and seek a second opinion.

We could use your judgment, commentary, and opinion. Leave us a review and rating on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen!

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For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our...

In this special Morning Minyan, Rabbi Lizzi is joined by Jerusalem-based thought leader, spiritual activist, and author Yiscah Smith for a discussion of her new book, Planting Seeds of the Divine: Torah Commentaries. Yiscah will be returning to Chicago for Pride Weekend in June and doing an in-person talk at Mishkan, so this minyan is a teaser for that visit, as well as a spiritual boost to enliven your day!

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For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram...

Today’s episode is a Shabbat Replay of our service on April 24th. We had not one but two guest drashers: Alana Sindelar and Gabi Finkelstein, MishTeens about to graduate high school and Mishkan's Cohen Kadima Program! Let them know you enjoyed their sermon in your five star review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen.

You can learn more about the Cohen Kadima for middle and high schoolers here:

https://www.mishkanchicago.org/kids-families/family-programs/cohen-kadima/

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For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & In...

Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld made Jewish anxiety funny for a broad audience, but for many Jews, it’s just reality. Why? How did this happen? And what if we don’t actually want that anxious inheritance? In a special Morning Minyan, Rabbi Lizzi was joined by Rabbi Dr. Caryn Aviv for a discussion of her new book, "Unlearning Jewish Anxiety." Caryn is Rabbinic Director at Judaism Your Way in Denver, CO. She’s a recovering academic in sociology and Jewish studies, and a (mostly) formerly anxious Jew. 

For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calenda...

In this special Yom haAtzma'ut episode of Contact Chai, Rabbi Lizzi interviews Orly Erez Likhovski, Executive Director of the Israeli Religious Action Center, which fights for religious freedom and pluralism, equality in gender and sexuality, and ending legal and systemic racism in Israel.

https://www.irac.org/our-work

To get on IRAC's newsletter:
https://www.irac.org/sign-up

IRAC Podcast - https://open.spotify.com/show/6iE7brKmaVuTI8Dwy5YZy3?si=pg068k0YRN-8RU7J-9h8DQ&nd=1&dlsi=44d5dd8543ac4319

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For upcoming Shabbat services and...

Today's episode is a Shabbat Replay of our service on April 18th when Rabbi Steven gave a sermon on our tradition's treatment of those with so-called leprosy. At first glance, the Torah's attitude toward people with skin disease is exclusionary, but commentator have found deep wisdom about rest and healing under the epidermis.

If this podcast has helped you find rest or healing, we encourage you take just thirty seconds and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen — it would help us a lot.

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For upcoming Shabbat services and pr...

In honor of Yom HaShoah, Rabbi Lizzi spoke with author and Mishkanite Rob Don about his book In the Midst of Darkness, a memoir exploring intergenerational trauma, Holocaust survival, racism, and mental health.

https://inthemidstofdarkness.com/

For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates. To support Mishkan's important work of creating radically inclusive, down-to-earth, inspired Judaism, we invite you to join as a Builder or donate today.

https...

Today's episode is a Shabbat Replay of our service on April 10th which featured a fascinating conversation between Rabbi Lizzi and special guest Jeremy Ben-Ami, the president of J Street. Rabbi Lizzi sits on the Rabbinic Cabinet of J Street, which works in the American political system and in the Jewish community to advocate for diplomacy-first American leadership and policies that advance justice, equality, peace, and democracy in Israel. 

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For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and l...

The audio in this sermon starts out rough, but it gets way better after two minutes — we promise!

Hello, and welcome to Contact Chai. Today’s episode is a Shabbat Replay of our service on Friday, March 27th, when Rabbi Steven delivered a drash on the power of hope embedded in the Exodus story. And yes, he does reference Prince of Egypt.

If you’re still looking for a First Night Seder, Rabbi Steven would love to have you at our annual Learner’s Seder this Wednesday, April 1st. While created for our BluePrint students, this eve...

Today’s episode is a Shabbat Replay of our service on March 21st, 2026, when Rabbi Lizzi led a conversation on the connection between the Passover practice of letting go of bread, pasta, and other wheaty, yeasty treats and the sacrifices described in our parshah in Leviticus.

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For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates. To support Mishkan's important work of creating radically inclusive, down-to-earth, inspired Judaism, we invite you to jo...

Josh Cynamon, Mishkanite and PhD candidate in cognitive science at Indiana University studying cognitive science and artificial intelligence, joins Rabbi Lizzi in a nuanced conversation about the impacts of artificial intelligence on all of us.

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. Today's Morning Minyan features "Kedusha" by Amy Robinson.

https://mishkan.shulcloud.com/form/reg-morning-minyan-evergreen

Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.

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Today’s episode is a Shabbat Replay of our service on March 13th when we heard a special guest drash on the lifelong spiritual and communal impact of divorce from Rabbi Ezra Weinberg. Rabbi Ezra is the founder of the divorce support network Jews Get Divorce. Get divorce. Get it? 

If you find our content helpful in your life, we hope we *get* your five star rating and review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen.

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For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for inf...

You’re traveling through another dimension, beyond both time and space. A journey into a wondrous land whose boundaries are that of imagination. That’s a signpost up ahead: your next stop: Shabbat! Heschel famously likened Shabbat to a cathedral in time. But in his sermon on March 7th, Rabbi Steven shared wisdom he has received which emphasizes Shabbat’s spatial dimension. How does this ancient practice connect us across generations, restoring our very souls?

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For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues...

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. Today's Morning Minyan features "Kedusha" by Amy Robinson.

https://mishkan.shulcloud.com/form/reg-morning-minyan-evergreen

Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.

Transcript

What does our tradition have to teach us about honoring the diversity of human bodies? We sat down with Rabbi Minna Bromberg, fat liberation activist and founder of Fat Torah, to discuss her new book, "Every Body Beloved."

https://bookshop.org/lists/every-body-beloved

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. Today's Morning Minyan features "Kedusha" by Amy Robinson.

https://mishkan.shulcloud.com/form/reg-morning-minyan-evergreen

Produced by Mishkan Chicago...

Join us for Purim on March 2nd! Don't miss out on the zaniest spiel in town — register at the link below.

https://www.mishkanchicago.org/event/adult-purim-2026/

This drash was delivered at our virtual service on February 27th, 2026.

Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.

Transcript

Join us for Purim on March 2nd! Don't miss out on the zaniest spiel in town — register at the link below.

https://www.mishkanchicago.org/event/adult-purim-2026/

The Megillah is satire. But deciphering the intended message of ancient literature is hard enough without a layer of irony and hidden meaning. In our Reading Esther As Literature class, Rabbi Lizzi taught us how to unlock some of that meaning using the Jewish hermeneutic tool Pardes. 

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For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for inf...

Booo Mordechai! Wait, did I get that wrong? As Rabbi Lizzi taught in her sermon on Saturday, February 21st, on Purim, we are to get so mentally mixed up that we can’t remember the difference between “Blessed is Mordechi” and “Cursed is Haman.” Why? Find out at Mishkan’s Purim Party on March 2nd. Our spiel and full Megillah reading is always the best party in town, no exaggeration.

https://www.mishkanchicago.org/event/adult-purim-2026/

Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.

Transcript

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. Today's Morning Minyan features "Kedusha" by Amy Robinson.

https://mishkan.shulcloud.com/form/reg-morning-minyan-evergreen

Mishkan’s Purim Party is March 2nd — do you have your tickets yet? Featuring outrageous sketches and a full Megillah reading, this is shaping up to be our wildest Pruim yet. And if you’re not sure your can make it in-person, you can join via our state-of-the-art livestream.

https...

Hello, and welcome to Contact Chai. At our service on February 13th, we heard from Builder Sarah Garza Resnick, the President and CEO of Personal PAC. Sarah shared the latest plans of the extremists behind Project 2025 who are gearing up for a further assault on reproductive rights and the freedoms of women, families, and any individual who does not share their narrow agenda.

If you are feeling overwhelmed by the state of the world, please, consider joining us for Purim on March 2nd. As the Talmudic sages remind us, increasing our joy is a mitzvah this time...

Today’s episode is the first part of a two-part Shabbat Replay of our service on February 13th — Erev Valentine’s Day. What is the hidden meaning behind 2/13? Or 6-7? Builder Devi Stern shared her expertise in gematria (Jewish numerology) to provide some insight.

There is also a hidden meaning behind the numbers 3/2: it’s the date of our Purim Spiel! On March 2nd, we hope you will join us for our annual Purim Party. Register at the link below.

https://www.mishkanchicago.org/event/adult-purim-2026/

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For upcoming Shabbat services and programs...

The Megillah isn't history. But what is it? According to Rabbi Lizzi (and the scholars she draws from), it is a burlesque, satire, and farce! Learn how that can inform our relationship to the text, Purim, and living in the Diaspora.

You can sign up for the rest of the classes at the link below:

https://www.mishkanchicago.org/event/reading-the-book-of-esther-as-literature-02-19-26/

Register for our Purim Party and Family Purim Party at the link below:

https://www.mishkanchicago.org/shabbat-holidays/holidays/mishkan-chicago-purim-5786/

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For upcoming Shabbat services...

Today’s episode is a Shabbat Replay of our service on Saturday, February 7th, when Rabbi Steven connected the wisdom of Shabbos rest to Tu B’Shehvat. In North America, the birthday of the trees is a time when deciduous trees are resting, and, for millions of years, the majestic pine stores burbling sap.

We pine for your reviews. Leave us a five tree-star rating so we can get the word out about this show!

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For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information abou...

Today’s episode is a Shabbat Replay of our service on January 23rd when Rabbi Steven returned from leading an educational trip to Israel. He shared reflections what it was like to be in a nation consumed by grief and political turmoil, only to return to a nation consumed with grief and political turmoil.

If you’ve been educated or encouraged by Rabbi Steven and want to share your reflections, please drop us a five star rating and review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen — it helps us a lot. 

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For upcoming Shabbat...

Today's Morning Minyan features a teaching by Rabbi Shefa Gold as well as the songs "Modeh Ani" by Omer Adam and “I'm Not Alone” by Aly Halpert.

https://www.rabbishefagold.com/bo/

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

Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.

Transcript

Today’s episode is a Shabbat Replay of our service on January 17th over MLK Day Weekend. Rabbi Lizzi was fresh off of giving the prayer at Mayor Brandon Johnson’s MLK breakfast where former Vice President Kamala Harris was in attendance. It was kind of a big deal, and if you’re feeling like you missed out, don’t worry, she gives a great recap, just like you get a great recap of every sermon here on Contact Chai Podcast. Have you dropped a 5 star review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen?

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For upco...

Today's Morning Minyan features the song “Ana El Na” by Aly Halpert.

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

Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.

Transcript

Today’s episode is an especially musical Shabbat Replay from our service on January 9th. The word of the day in Rabbi Lizzi’s sermon was ger, or “Foreigner.” If You Want To Know What Love Is, this Urgent message will help you stay Hot Blooded in a world that feels Cold As Ice. I don’t know any other songs by Foreigner, but if you can think of another that might fit, include it in your 5 star review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen. So, how do we retain the wisdom of the outsider in an empire tha...

Today’s episode is an especially musical Shabbat Replay from our service on January 9th. The word of the day in Rabbi Lizzi’s sermon was ger, or “Foreigner.” If You Want To Know What Love Is, this Urgent message will help you stay Hot Blooded in a world that feels Cold As Ice. I don’t know any other songs by Foreigner, but if you can think of another that might fit, include it in your 5 star review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen. So, how do we retain the wisdom of the outsider in an empire tha...

Today's Morning Minyan features “Modeh Ani” by Nefesh Mountain.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFOms2QxFTo&list=RDzFOms2QxFTo&start_radio=1

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

Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.

Transcript

Rabbi Lizzi’s 45th birthday is on New Year’s Eve! We have it on good authority that no gift would make her happier than seeing this community continue to thrive. One year older, one year wiser — help our rabbi share that wisdom by giving at the link below.

https://secure.givelively.org/donate/mishkan-chicago/join-us-in-praying-and-fighting-for-a-better-world/

Today's Morning Minyan features a BimBam video entitled "Parshat Vayigash: The Moral Compasses of Reuben, Joseph, and Judah" by Rabbi Sydney Mintz.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ad7TEHMAkc

Every weekday at 8:00 am, Mishkan Chicag...

Rabbi Lizzi’s 45th birthday is on New Year’s Eve! We have it on good authority that no gift would make her happier than seeing this community continue to thrive. One year older, one year wiser — help our rabbi share that wisdom by giving at the link below.

https://secure.givelively.org/donate/mishkan-chicago/join-us-in-praying-and-fighting-for-a-better-world/

Today's Morning Minyan features "Psalm 148" by Joey Weisenberg and a selection of songs from Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat by Andrew Lloyd Weber and Tim Rice.

Every weekday at 8:00 am, Mishkan Chicago holds a virtual Morning Minyan...