In this inaugural episode of a new interview series titled "The View From The Top," Rabbi Lizzi spoke with Rabbi Dr. Bradley Shavit Artson about his perspective on the state of the present and future of American Judaism.

R'Artson (www.bradartson.com) holds the Abner and Roslyn Goldstine Dean's Chair of the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies and is Vice President of American Jewish University in Los Angeles. Rabbi Artson has long been a passionate advocate for social justice, human dignity, diversity and inclusion. He wrote a book on Jewish teachings on war, peace and nuclear annihilation in the late 80s, became a leading voice advocating for GLBT marriage and ordination in the 90s, and has published and spoken widely on environmental ethics, special needs inclusion, racial and economic justice, cultural and religious dialogue and cooperation, and working for a just and secure peace for Israel and the Middle East. A member of the Philosophy Department, he is particularly interested in theology, ethics, and the integration of science and religion. He is also Rabbinic Leader of the Abraham Joshua Heschel Seminary in Potsdam, Germany, ordaining Conservative rabbis for Europe. A frequent contributor for the Times of Israel, and a Contributing Writer for the Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles, he has a public figure Facebook page with over 93,000 likes. Rabbi Artson is the author of 12 books and over 250 articles. He is currently completing a new book, Wells of Wisdom: Ancient Insight to Thrive.

https://www.aju.edu/ziegler-school-rabbinic-studies

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://www.mishkanchicago.org/support/be-a-builder/

https://www.mishkanchicago.org/support/makeyourgift/

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

Transcript

Today’s episode is a Shabbat Replay of our Virtual Friday Night service on May 16th. Rabbi Lizzi was joined by Rabbi Adi Romem, one of the first female rabbis ordained by the Hartman Institute for Israeli rabbis. Together, they discussed blasphemy, in the Torah portion and in politics.

Mark your calendars for our Pre-Shavuot Shabbat Pizza Picnic at Northcenter Town Square on May 30th featuring, pizza, lawn games, an ice cream truck, and a performance by the Teen Davening Team. Register now to enjoy all that dairy goodness in community.

https://www.mishkanchicago.org/event/shavuot-shabbat-pizza-picnic-ft-teen-davening-team/

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://www.mishkanchicago.org/support/be-a-builder/

https://www.mishkanchicago.org/support/makeyourgift/

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

Transcript

"My response to trauma has to be to see everyone as human."

Rabbi Lizzi spoke with Alice Miller, the CEO of Natan Worldwide Disaster Relief, an Israeli organization providing all-volunteer medical, dental, and humanitarian support all over the world. Their conversation was wide-ranging, fascinating, and surprising.

Learn more about NATAN and support their work at https://natanrelief.org/donate/

Anyone interested in learning even more about Natan should contact Alan at alan.s@natanrelief.org

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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 as a Builder or donate today.

https://www.mishkanchicago.org/support/be-a-builder/

https://www.mishkanchicago.org/support/makeyourgift/

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

Transcript

Today's episode is a Shabbat Replay of our service on Friday, May 30th. Rabbi Steven delivered a passionate, vulnerable sermon on how it can feel to be Jewish in public at times — unwelcome and misunderstood. How can we boldly show up as our whole selves when even progressive interfaith spaces can sometimes harbor real, if less explicit, antisemitism?

Mark your calendars for our Pre-Shavuot Shabbat Pizza Picnic at Northcenter Town Square on May 30th featuring, pizza, lawn games, an ice cream truck, and a performance by the Teen Davening Team. Register now to enjoy all that dairy goodness in community.

https://www.mishkanchicago.org/event/shavuot-shabbat-pizza-picnic-ft-teen-davening-team/

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.mishkanchicago.org/support/be-a-builder/

Transcript

Rabbi Lizzi spoke with representatives of the Standing Together movement, whose mission is to bring equality, political, and climate justice to all citizens of Israel, and peaceful coexistence with Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza. On the Eve of Yom HaAtzma’ut, which celebrates 77 years of Israeli independence, Itamar Avneri and Angela Mattar — a Jewish and Palestinian leader — spoke about the challenges and bright spots they’re seeing, and how we here in Chicago can push for the Israel we know is possible.

Website of Standing Together
https://www.standing-together.org/en

May 4 Chicago Rally for Peace
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1h3R7LkJGURB7J3Q9y0K2BnZD5rEJGFigcb1okZyHze4/viewform?edit_requested=true

Illinois Friends of Standing Together Mailing List Sign-Up
https://gmail.us22.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=86cc164369e740a2f35e05e8a&id=e9f465b26b

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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 as a Builder or donate today.

https://www.mishkanchicago.org/support/be-a-builder/

https://www.mishkanchicago.org/support/makeyourgift/

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.

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

Links referenced in today's episode:

Rabbi Ariel Root Wolpe's Omer song:
https://soundcloud.com/ariel-root-wolpe/hineni-muchan-umzuman-i-am-ready?

Velveteen Rabbi Omer explanation and image of Kabbalistic Sefirot: https://velveteenrabbi.blogs.com/blog/2018/07/seven.html

Taffy Brodesser-Akner's NYT Piece, "The Holocaust Story I Said I Wouldn't Write": https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/06/magazine/holocaust-story-education.html

Aish Omer Meditation:
https://aish.com/daily-omer-meditation/

Kululam: 600 Survivors and their descendants sing Chai - I'm Alive! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vuh1-jDi7Qw

Become A Builder!
https://www.mishkanchicago.org/support/be-a-builder/

Transcript

Today’s episode is a Shabbat Replay of our service on April 19th when Rabbi Steven drashed on the power and danger of anger. We can get pretty uncomfortable with this emotion these days, with good reason, and it can be awkward how present righteous anger is in the haggadah. How can we harness this potent feeling in a healthy way in pursuit of justice?

This Sunday, April 27th, at 10:00 am, Mishkan is thrilled to once again join our friends at Lawndale Christian Community Church for an interfaith service. Lawndale once held a thriving Jewish community, but racism, predatory contract lending, and white flight left the neighborhood under-resourced and highly segregated. We are honored to participate in the ribbon cutting ceremony for the Dr. Dennis Deer Community Justice Center, a new facility providing holistic justice through legal services, career support, and housing for clients of the Lawndale Christian Legal Center.

https://www.mishkanchicago.org/event/interfaith-service-and-celebration-with-lawndale-christian-legal-center/

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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 as a Builder or donate today.

https://www.mishkanchicago.org/support/be-a-builder/

https://www.mishkanchicago.org/support/makeyourgift/

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

Transcript