Common Faith – Details, episodes &amp; analysis

Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove:

From Hostages to Hope & When Two Things Can Be True: A Conversation on Israel and Empathy

Episode 5

Thursday, October 16, 2025 • Duration 55:04

In a historic week for Israel and the Jewish people, Common Faith hosts Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove and Emmy Award–winning journalist Jon Frankel pause their planned programming to reflect on the emotional return of hostages and what this moment means for Jewish identity, faith, and unity.

With compassion and candor, they explore the deep mix of relief, grief, and moral reckoning that defines this chapter of Jewish life—asking how a people can celebrate freedom while confronting loss.. At the heart of their conversation is a profound truth: two things can be true at once. Love of Israel can coexist with critique; pride can live alongside pain; faith can hold both resilience and doubt.

Rabbi Cosgrove shares his Yom Kippur sermon, Of Silver Platters and Mirrors, a stirring meditation on love for Israel, moral conscience, and the enduring call to hold empathy and self-defense in the same heart. Together, he and Jon offer a deeply human conversation on resilience, responsibility, and what it means to remain connected—to Israel, to community, and to common faith—in a divided world.

Park Avenue Synagogue
https://www.pasyn.org

Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove:

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When Faith Meets Politics: Navigating Jewish Concerns in Elections

Episode 6

Thursday, October 23, 2025 • Duration 51:37

In this powerful and deeply personal episode of Common Faith, Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove and journalist Jon Frankel step into rarely charted territory—the intersection of faith and politics. Following a sermon that went viral, Rabbi Cosgrove reflects on why he felt compelled to speak out during New York City’s mayoral race, addressing what he calls a “moment of moral urgency” for the Jewish people with concerns about the anti-Zionist rhetoric of candidate Zohran Mamdani and its implications for the Jewish community. The discussion delves into personal stories, community connections, and the importance of voting, all while exploring the complexities of Jewish identity in a rapidly changing world.

Together, the rabbi and Jon unpack the sermon’s impact, the response it ignited, and the complex balance between spiritual leadership and civic engagement. They explore how faith communities navigate political tensions, the blurry line between anti-Zionism and antisemitism, and why love—for Israel, for community, for humanity—sometimes demands difficult choices.

It’s an episode that challenges, provokes, and ultimately asks: when does faith require us to raise our voices, even when it’s uncomfortable?

Park Avenue Synagogue
https://www.pasyn.org

Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove:

https://www.sarahhurwitz.net/

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Cultural to Committed: A Journey of Jewish Identity with Sarah Hurwitz

Episode 8

Thursday, November 6, 2025 • Duration 53:47

What does it mean to reclaim Jewish identity in a world that often misunderstands or maligns it? In this episode of Common Faith, Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove and journalist Jon Frankel welcome author Sarah Hurwitz, former speechwriter for Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton, to discuss her new book As a Jew: Reclaiming Our Story from Those Who Blame, Shame, and Try to Erase Us.

Hurwitz shares her transformation from a self-described “cultural Jew” to a deeply engaged student of Jewish thought and tradition. Together, they explore how antisemitism has shaped Jewish self-perception, what it means to live as a proud Jew in modern times, and why genuine learning and connection—not apology or erasure—are the path forward.

With honesty, humor, and heart, this conversation unpacks the struggle between assimilation and authenticity, the intersection of faith and identity, and how study itself can be a profound act of spirituality.

Sarah Hurwitz

Park Avenue Synagogue
https://www.pasyn.org

Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove:

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Proudly Jewish, Proudly American: Lessons from the Revolution

Episode 7

Thursday, October 30, 2025 • Duration 54:16

On Common Faith, Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove and Emmy Award–winning journalist Jon Frankel explore what it means to live as a proud Jew in today’s divided world. This episode features Rabbi Cosgrove’s powerful Rosh Hashanah sermon about Jonas Phillips—the Revolutionary War–era patriot who proved that Jewish identity and American ideals could thrive side by side.

Through Phillips’ story, the rabbi reflects on the freedoms and responsibilities of American Jews today, confronting the rising challenges of antisemitism, polarization, and self-censorship. Together, he and John discuss how to balance faith, freedom, and identity—and why two things can be true at once: that we can love both America and Israel, debate passionately and still stay united, and express faith proudly while embracing diversity of thought.

It’s a conversation about courage, conscience, and the ongoing American Jewish experiment—and a call to live out faith in both the private and public square.

Park Avenue Synagogue
https://www.pasyn.org

Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove: