Contact Chai
Contact Chai is Mishkan Chicago’s podcast feed, where you can hear our Shabbat sermons, Morning Minyans, interviews with Jewish thought leaders, and more.
- Update frequency
- every 4 days
- Average duration
- 29 minutes
- Episodes
- 318
- Years Active
- 2020 - 2025
Shabbat Replay: As In Life, So In Death
We can't escape death, which doesn't stop us from spending our whole lives trying. Yet in the back of our minds we have this idea that when it's our time to go, we'll be at peace with ourselves and o…
Shabbat Replay: When Dreams (Kinda) Come True
“Don’t smile because it’s over, cry because it happened."
Why do we so often cry after a huge accomplishment? Why does it never feel truly satisfying when a dream comes true? What is honey times 60? …
Shabbat Replay: Rabbi Steven Ruins Hanukkah
What would Judah Maccabee think of the commercialized, semi-assimilated, kid-friendly version of Hanukkah we celebrate today? R'Steven Philp takes us through the history behind our modern Hanukkah tr…
Shabbat Replay: Jewish Views On Self-Defense (Re: Rittenhouse Verdict)
In response to the acquittal of Kyle Rittenhouse for killing two activists in supposed self-defense, Rabbi Lizzi Heydemann shares timely wisdom from the Talmud on rodef — self-defense against a pursu…
Shabbat Replay: When It’s Dark, Look Up
This week, we hear from Rabbi Deena about Daylight Savings Time and our relationship with darkness.
To watch our full service from Friday, November 17th, click here. Check out upcoming Shabbat se…
Shabbat Replay: Eating Disorders and a Call for Community Support
This week, we hear from Sarah Bateman, a licensed clinical social worker, a mental health advocate and the Jewish Community Liaison at The Renfrew Center for Eating Disorders.
To watch our full se…
Shabbat Replay: Finding Meaning in the Unexplained
This week, we hear the live recording of Rabbi Steven Philp's drash from Friday, October 22nd. Tune in for Rabbi Steven's sermon about ghosts, the unexplained, balancing our rational minds and findin…
The High Holidays: Envisioning A Year of Justice with R'Stephanie Ruskay
This episode concludes a three-part series diving into the High Holidays. In this episode, Rabbi Deena Cowans is in conversation with her friend and mentor, Rabbi Stephanie Ruskay. Rabbi Ruskay has …
The High Holidays: Practicing Community with Casper ter Kuile
We continue our three-part series diving into the High Holidays. In this episode, Rabbi Steven Philp, the newest addition to our rabbinic team, is in conversation with his friend and sought-after wri…
The High Holidays: Mining the Wreck with Jay Michaelson
This episode begins a three-part series diving into the High Holidays. Rabbi Lizzi is joined by Jay Michaelson, a writer who works at the intersection of politics and spirituality, to discuss the pow…
Transforming Despair into Determination with Joe Grant & Anna Gaebler
Tune into this Tisha B'Av-inspired bonus episode featuring Joe Grant and Anna Gaebler — two advocates and organizers working on economic justice in Chicago.
Rabbi Lizzi joins Joe and Anna in conversa…
Shabbat Replay: Finding the Words for Pride ft. Joshua Schwartz
This week, we hear the live recording of Mishkanite Joshua Schwartz's drash from Friday, June 25th. Tune in for Josh's reflection on Torah in relation to Pride, Jewish identity, and finding a spiritu…
Shabbat Replay: Opal Lee & Miriam, Champions for Justice
This week, we hear the live recording of Rabbi Deena's drash from Friday, June 18th. Tune in for her reflection on Torah in relation to Juneteenth.
Tune into our full service from Friday, June 18th, …
Shabbat Replay: Imagination Over Validation
This week, we hear the live recording of Rabbi Lizzi's drash from Friday, June 11th. Tune in for her reflection on Torah in relation to Israel and Palestine
Tune into our full service from Friday, Jun…
Shabbat Replay: A Prayer for Healing, An Act of Hope
This week, we hear the live recording of Rabbi Deena's drash from Friday, June 4th. Tune in for her reflection on Torah in relation to grief, healing, illness and the way we support our friends and f…
Shabbat Replay: Joel Braunold on Israel & Palestine
This week, we hear the live recording of Joel Brounold's dvar Torah from Friday, May 14th. Joel is the Managing Director of the S. Daniel Abraham Center for Middle East Peace. Tune in for his refle…
An Unbound Jewish Digital Kingdom with Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg
We are in the 7th, and final week of our Omer series featuring spiritual entrepreneurs, people who are bringing the wisdom of their own lived experience into their professional lives and carving new …
Shabbat Replay: The Torah’s Prescription for A Radical Reset ft. Rabbi Lizzi
This week, we hear the live recording of Rabbi Lizzi's drash from Friday, May 7th. Tune in for her reflection on Torah in relation to our new pace of life, the coming shmita year, the power in slowin…
Cultivating a Foundation of Gratitude & Accountability with Rabbi Sandra Lawson
We continue a period on the Jewish calendar called the Omer — the 49 days between Passover and Shavuot that our tradition observes through a practice of counting, day by day, week by week. We imbue t…
Shabbat Replay: Lag B'Omer & Devotion to Our Highest Ideals ft. Rabbi Lizzi
This week, we hear the live recording of Rabbi Lizzi's drash from Friday, April 30th. Tune in for her reflection on Torah in relation to Lag B'Omer, news from Jerusalem, France, and beyond.
Tune int…