Carrying the Light Forward: Crossing Into the New Year With Purpose

I speak to you with a heavy heart in the aftermath of the cold-blooded and brutal murders of our brothers and sisters—colleagues, friends, families—on the first night of Chanukah at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia. We are all shaken, shocked, and devastated by the sheer evil inflicted upon innocent men, women, and children.Our hearts ache for the sacred souls taken from us, and for the shattered families left behind. We offer our deepest prayers for the wounded to experience a complete and speedy healing.Yet beyond the pain, an agonizing question confronts us. How could such darkness erupt on the Festival of Lights—at the very moment when we celebrate the triumph of light over darkness? At that moment, it seemed as though darkness had prevailed.We find ourselves at the threshold of a new year, a season when we seek meaning, love, and hope amid the many challenges of our lives. And now we are compelled to ask: How do we look directly into the face of such evil and not turn away? How do we emerge stronger, more resilient, and more deeply defined by our values than ever before?This is a challenge we face in every generation, but it becomes especially urgent in the wake of such senseless tragedy.I invite you to join me as we explore how to carry the light forward—how to cross into the new year with purpose, courage, and moral clarity, and how to discover a deeper, more enduring light even within the abyss of pain and loss.

I speak to you with a heavy heart in the aftermath of the cold-blooded and brutal murders of our brothers and sisters—colleagues, friends, families—on the first night of Chanukah at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia. We are all shaken, shocked, and devastated by the sheer evil inflicted upon innocent men, women, and children.

If you had an X-ray of your soul, what would it reveal?Today’s technology can map every contour of the body; X-rays, CAT scans, endless diagnostics that expose the inner mechanics of our biology. But when it comes to the psyche — to the soul, the seat of your identity and the engine of your entire life — where is that scan? The body is but the vehicle; the soul is the driver. So what does a healthy soul look like?Just as a physical X-ray shows strengths, weaknesses, and areas needing adjustment, imagine having the same clarity about your inner world. Without a picture and a blueprint how do we grow? How do we heal? How do we navigate pain, anxiety, or the challenges that life inevitably delivers?This is the central question of all emotional and spiritual work: Do our therapists, doctors, and coaches possess a true map of the human spirit or are we all stumbling in the dark, guided only by intuition and experience?Please join Rabbi Simon Jacobson as we explore a deeper truth: that there is a divine blueprint, an X-ray of the soul — a map that allows us to decode the psyche and realign heart, mind, and spirit.

Is who you are defined by what you do? Is your self-worth measured by your net worth? These questions strike at the very heartbeat of life — at what truly drives us.Are we physical beings who occasionally embark on a spiritual journey, or spiritual beings navigating a physical world?Much of our lives is consumed with survival; eating, sleeping, working, shopping, socializing. Yet what of our higher needs? Our dreams, our aspirations, the search for meaning, the purpose of our existence? It is all too easy to get lost in the means and forget the end.From our earliest years, society, education, and even our families train us to perform, to achieve, to excel but rarely to reflect on why. Why do we strive? Why do we labor? What is the purpose behind our efforts?Please join Rabbi Simon Jacobson for this vital conversation and together, we will explore how our everyday actions — our work, ambitions, and relationships — can be transformed into vessels of transcendence and higher purpose. We will uncover how to align the material and the spiritual, so that everything we do resonates with the eternal within us. This is a conversation about reclaiming meaning, living not merely for achievement or comfort, but for a life that reflects the deepest truths of our being, and awakening to the profound potential of every moment.

How much do our family dynamics shape our lives?Today we recognize more than ever that from our earliest, most impressionable years, the attitudes and environment of our homes—whether positive or negative—leave a deep imprint on our psyches. Picture a warm ball of wax: every experience, every word, every gesture becomes etched into it as it cools and hardens, accompanying us into adulthood.Our childhood traumas…Our moments of beauty…The nurturing we received, and the nurturing we didn’t…The functionality—and the dysfunctionality—of our homes…All of these weave themselves into the fabric of our lives in profound ways.As we approach Thanksgiving—a time when many gather with family—it’s worth pausing to reflect. Family can be a source of immense warmth, connection, and joy. But it can also stir discomfort, tension, and old wounds.So let’s explore this together. Let’s dig deeper into what family really means, how these dynamics shape us, and what we can do to navigate them with greater awareness and healing.Please join Rabbi Simon Jacobson for this important conversation: When Family Hurts: The Hidden Emotions Around the Family Table.

We’ve all witnessed it — those chilling moments when a crime unfolds in broad daylight and people simply walk by. A car slams into a bicyclist. The rider lays motionless on the pavement, and tens of passersby keep moving as if nothing happened. Another time, someone is being mugged in full public view — and no one lifts a finger.But what’s even more disturbing is the follow-up reaction. Some people don't even see this insensitivity as a problem. I once spoke about this in a public lecture, and a man raised his hand: “Why should I care? It’s a dog-eat-dog world. Survival of the fittest. I have my own problems. Most people wouldn’t help me — so why should I help them?”A painful question. Yet beneath it lies a truth we don’t want to face: injustice is happening around us constantly. Children are being bullied right now. People are being hurt, even killed — and countless others stand by, complicit in their silence, numb in their indifference.So why should we care?What responsibility do we bear for one another?And what does our reaction — or lack of reaction — reveal about the state of our souls and the condition of our society?Please join Rabbi Simon Jacobson for this urgent and deeply personal exploration. This conversation is not a critique; it is a wake-up call. A call to reawaken our conscience, to pierce the shell of apathy, to recognize the integral connection and responsibility we have for each other, and to rediscover the power each of us holds to bring light into a darkened world.

What happens after we die? Does life simply end, or does it continue in a dimension beyond our comprehension—one our senses can barely fathom? Sight, sound, taste, touch, smell—these tools we rely on every day are too limited to perceive the true reality that lies beyond.This question has confronted humanity since the beginning of time: Is there life after death? This is not merely an abstract curiosity—it shapes the way we live today. How we spend our time, the values we cherish, the relationships we nurture, the ambitions we pursue—all are profoundly influenced by our understanding of life’s ultimate trajectory.To live with meaning, we must ask: Where did we come from? And where are we going, beyond the narrow confines of our daily existence? What is the purpose of this life if it is not connected to the eternity of the soul?Please join Rabbi Simon Jacobson for a conversation that goes beyond the surface of mortality, exploring the journey of the soul from this life into the next. Together, we will contemplate what it means to live in the light of eternity and how that awareness can transform the way we experience every moment of our lives.

Do you ever feel your life is spinning beyond your control — that things just happen, and you’re merely a bystander?Or, perhaps on the other extreme, you feel fully in control — that you alone determine your fate.These two poles have defined human thought for millennia. On one end, a religious fatalism that says: “God runs the show; we’re just living out the script.” On the other, Ayn Rand’s Objectivism — the creed of radical individualism: “No one controls me but me.”So who’s really in charge — us, God, or both? Do we truly have free will, or is our path already written? And if both play a role, how do we find the harmony between divine destiny and human choice?Join Rabbi Simon Jacobson for a penetrating exploration into individuality and God — and discover how, far from being at odds, they actually complement one another.

How powerful is your comfort zone? And what effect does it really have on your life?The very word comfort evokes warmth and security — a sense of being settled. But if you think deeper, you’ll discover that comfort zones are one of life’s greatest traps. They keep us confined to the familiar — to the status quo, to inertia.Every genuine form of growth — personal, emotional, or spiritual — happens only when we step beyond that zone. Growth doesn’t have to come through pain or loss; it simply means moving beyond where you are right now. That’s the essence of transformation. That’s metamorphosis.Paradoxically, the secret to all growth lies in discomfort — in daring to leave what feels safe.Please join Rabbi Simon Jacobson as we explore this vital truth about growth and discover how to break free from the limits of the familiar, awaken your true potential, and begin living the life your soul is meant to lead.

In a striking parallel, this week’s Torah portion mentions hamas — not once, but twice. The world, it says, was filled with hamas: crime, robbery, violence.And here we are today, thousands of years later, we are painfully reminded that Hamas has not disappeared — it floods Gaza, it haunts our world, and it lingers, unresolved, two years after October 7th.What can we learn from the events of four millennia ago, when human corruption brought the great flood? What lessons does that ancient tragedy hold for our lives today? How do we respond, not just in relief or outrage, but in building something permanent, sustainable, and just? How do we protect ourselves from the raging floodwaters?Yes, we celebrate the release of the remaining hostages — a moment of relief, a glimmer of hope. Yet the deeper challenge remains: how do we confront this Hamas that doesn't seem to go away? How do we move beyond temporary solutions, beyond quick fixes and reactive measures, to create structures of justice, peace, and moral integrity that can endure in a lasting and transformative way?This is not a question for politicians alone, nor for armies, but for each of us. Every one of us may experience a "flood" that deluges us. This may take the shape of internal anxiety or fear, or hostile and corrupt forces around us -- concerns that can overwhelm us. Every act of courage, every effort to build character, every small step toward compassion and righteousness, becomes part of the ark we build that can weather the flood.The flood can be relentless, but so too can be our resolve. It begins with us — building strength, building hope, building an ark that no flood can wash away.Please join Rabbi Simon Jacobson for this timely and urgent conversation because as life has taught us, we all will face challenges that can flood our lives. The question is: will you be ready? How do we build an "ark" to insulate us from these floods?