Rabbi Rick Jacobs on Isaiah 58:1-8 – “Living a Life of Meaning and Purpose”

Mark’s delight is palpable as he welcomes Rabbi Rick Jacobs to the podcast today. As President of the Union for Reform Judaism, Rabbi Jacobs currently leads the largest and most diverse Jewish movement in North America. He is a longtime and devoted creative change agent who has served as Rabbi of the Brooklyn Heights Synagogue, where he created the first homeless shelter in a New York City synagogue, before spending 20 years as a visionary spiritual leader at Westchester Reform Temple in Scarsdale, New York. The passage he has chosen to discuss today is Isaiah 58:1-8. Rabbi Jacobs begins the conversation by summarizing the passage and sharing its significance for him, particularly in its commentary upon moving beyond the foundation of ritual and study toward acting for social justice. He and Mark engage in an extensive exploration of other related Torah passages, the call to be righteously indignant for justice, and experiencing empathy for others. They also discuss the examples set by social justice activists throughout history, the story behind this passage’s placement within Yom Kippur, as well as the Rabbi’s perspective on important Jewish holidays and the global Jewish people. He draws the episode to a close with a particularly powerful example of one of the lessons he has learned about humankind. Rest assured, you will not only be educated by Rabbi Jacobs today, but you will be inspired and moved to action through his wisdom, his passion, and, above all, his integrity, in today’s utterly fascinating discussion. Episode Highlights: · Rabbi Jacobs’ summary of the passage and its significance for him · The powerful grounding in ritual and study · The requirement of living ethically rigorous, disciplined, impactful lives · Other passages in the Torah that echo the message of today’s passage · Being righteously indignant for the sake of justice · Experiencing empathy for others · What it means to be a person of faith · Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, Dr. Martin Luther King, and Rabbi Maurice Eisendrath · The story