The Jewish Collaborative of San Diego

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The Jewish Collaborative of San Diego

JCoSD is a cooperative-inspired synagogue community that provides opportunities for learning, support, action, and personal & spiritual fulfillment.

08/25/2026

Prompt: How do you know the difference between right and wrong, good and bad? Is it something you think about? Do you define it differently or use different words? What’s the difference between all that stuff in society verses within yourself and your own life?

Thoughts:
Our bodies (if we listen to them) are very good at telling us when things are off. They serve as a good barometer that tells you when you’re on the right path or when you’ve gone off course. Another barometer is that still small voice within you but you’ll have to continue working on quieting all the other noise.

General thought and reminder: This month of Elul is all about returning. These prompts are here to help us on that journey whether they clear the path or remind us what we are returning to.

Much love!
Rabbi Gabi

08/23/2026

During yesterday’s Havdalah I mentioned that the spices are meant to wake us up to the world. As I gave my little Ted Talk about awakening, I turned to see little Denny (Dara and Oneal’s son) spreading the cinnamon from the spices all over his face. “I guess he really wanted to wake up!”

Prompt:
What makes you feel awake to the world? When do you feel the most connected and aware of your surroundings? What can you do to bring yourself there? How can you spread the cinnamon all over YOUR face?

Shavua Tov and Much love!
Rabbi Gabi

If you would like to receive our daily Elul prompt, message us

08/14/2026

Welcome to the Hebrew month of Elul. It is considered the last month of the Hebrew (civil) calendar and ushers us into the High Holidays.

Since the High Holidays are all about renewal, forgiveness, awakening, returning, and so much more, Elul serves as the month of spiritual and emotional preparation for those ten most holy days.

The Omer Journey (which we went on after Passover) is about preparing ourselves to receive God’s greatest gift, the Torah. Elul is about making our way back, returning. The question for each of us is what it is we are returning to and what we will do when we get there.

Over the next 28 days, I will give you prompts that you can think about, write about, or meditate about that will help guide you in your own personal return so that on Rosh Hashanah we can return together.

Much love!
Rabbi Gabi

04/08/2026

How much time do you spend focusing on irrational thoughts? On things that you think may happen? On things that have happened that continue to trigger you? How much time do you spend focusing on the things you’re afraid of or the things that p**s you off or what other people may or may not be thinking?

In our opening up to answers, I will tell you that spending too much time focusing on all these things will keep you where you are, with many questions unanswered. On the other hand, if you decide to wade through these thoughts rather than just sitting in them, they may provide you with the most valuable answers you can find.

The key is to get curious. Why am I afraid of this thing? Why am I triggered by what happened or by what people do? Why am I so focused on what people may or may not think. Many people will tell you to get rid of all these thoughts. I’m telling you that you have more than one option. If you’re hyper focused on something, train yourself to focus on something more useful when that thought comes in. For instance, when the thought of something bad happening to you or your loved ones (not useful) comes in,catch yourself and name five things that you’re grateful for. And if the hyper fixation just doesn’t seem to go away, walk through it rather than letting it loop. This is done, as mentioned earlier, through curiosity.

We are working on opening ourselves up to all the answers that the universe is waiting for us to discover. Answers about humanity, about ourselves, about the meaning of life. Let’s not waste our time bogged down in the things that only serve us stagnancy. Let’s wade through these waters of life, take a dive here and there, and discover the vast sea full of treasures we never knew existed.

I love you all!
Rabbi Gabi

12/07/2023

Wishing everyone a Chanukah of light and hope!

10/23/2023

In times of conflict, in times of challenge, in times of chaos and complete ungroundedness, my mom has always told me one thing. She said "Gabi, you just stay the course." This mantra carried me through many difficult times in my life including what was termed "a very high conflict divorce." When people try to take you down, to create propaganda so that outside people see you as the villain, when people turn their backs on you, there are many paths you can go down. But the path best taken is one of truth, of authenticity, of compassion, of who we know ourselves to be. So we, as Jews must stay the course despite all the vitriol sent our way.

We must continue to be a strong community, to hold each other up, to gather, to cry, to pray, to find glimpses of joy and celebration, to mourn together, to process in our safe spaces.

We must continue to be a light, to feed the hungry, to give strength to the weary, to take care of the widow and the orphan, to welcome the stranger.

We must continue to study and wrestle with the Torah, to educate our kids and ourselves on what it means to be Jewish, on what it means to carry the history of our people.

We must continue to do good, to be good, to seek justice, to pray for and participate in healing, to pray for and participate in our pursuit of peace.

I stand with all of you. I feel deeply what it means to be Jewish in our country right now and I know how hard and heartbreaking it is for us all. Take breaks from the news and social media, reach out to your Jewish friends, be in community, tell your people you love them every day, meditate, journal, walk on the beach, volunteer locally, do whatever it takes to find moments of groundedness. Stay the course of who you are as a Jew and who you are as a human.

Sending you all big hugs and an even bigger I LOVE YOU,
Rabbi Gabi

06/06/2023

Join us!!

05/25/2023

Forty-nine days ago we recounted our journey from slavery to miracles to freedom with Passover. We reminded ourselves where we came from and where, at times, we continue to come from. We woke ourselves up to the fact that it was time to awaken again and take our journey towards Shavuot.

We went inward and reconnected. We thought, we processed, we came to some realizations. All of this took us to a day of recommitment and reconfirmation of who we are and how we want to walk in this world. On Shavuot we receive the Torah once again as a reminder that we are ready and we are worthy. We reconfirm that truth.

As we read the story of Ruth (on Shavuot) and her commitment to family, to self, and to community, we recommit ourselves to the same things.

So in looking forward to that commitment on Friday night (at JCo) or tomorrow night for some of you, I congratulate you all for coming on this journey and I thank you for letting me guide it. Go forward in connection, in acceptance, in patience, in truth, in enthusiasm, in love, and in faith.

I truly love you,
Rabbi Gabi
(Aaaaaand that’s a wrap)

05/24/2023

One of my pastor friends once told me that there are times in his life where he has to faith it till he makes it. That he gets lost in the hustle and bustle of life and has to find his way back to stillness.

I think we can all relate. But that’s the beauty of faith. It’s always there. We just lose our access to it sometimes and in those moments we have to figure out how to reunite.

Whatever faith is to you, remind yourself how to return. Whether it’s through gratitude or opening yourself up to miracles or looking to the past or the present moment, keep a roadmap close to your heart.

Faith grounds us, calms us, makes us more present. It’s a vital part of who we are.

I love you all! One more day of our Omer Journey. It has been quite a ride!

Rabbi Gabi

05/23/2023

As I have said in one of my earlier writings (I think), I believe that faith can be an antidote to fear. One of the things people fear most is change. Why? Because we humans like to be comfortable. And I get it. I like a period of stability and sameness just as much as anyone but without change, comfort quickly turns into stagnancy and stagnancy can very quickly turn into rot. I may sound dramatic but what would our past, present, and future be without change? Our faith reminds us that change is necessary and encourages us to lean into it rather than resist it.

We must have faith that each generation is supposed to forge new paths, that listening and learning allows for growth and evolution. We must have faith that change exists in our own lives to teach us new lessons and to help us grow deeper and wiser. We must have faith that change is just as much a part of the human experience as anything else.

We’re each going to read this message from the place that we currently stand. My hope is that each of us takes from it what we currently are in need of.

I love you all!
Rabbi Gabi

Address

North County San Diego
San Diego, CA

Telephone

+17607077111

Website

http://Jcosd.com/

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