Park Avenue Synagogue Podcast

Sermon – Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove – Stride Toward Freedom – January 15, 2022

When do we peak in our life work? Reflecting on the life of Martin Luther King, Rabbi Cosgrove suggests we are all ever at the shores of the sea taking a stride toward opening the next vital chapter of our lives.

Sermon – Rabbi Neil Zuckerman – God’s Pre-Game Speech to the Israelites – January 8, 2022

As the Israelites prepare for their journey into the wilderness, God’s first commandment to Moses and Aaron will both surprise and inspire you.

Sermon – Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove – Father and Son – December 6, 2021

Why didn’t Joseph write home to his father? Rabbi Cosgrove reviews the possible answers, suggesting that when we are open to hearing the perspectives of others, we can pass blessings from one generation to the next.

Sermon – Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove – Gender, Intermarriage, and Jewish Identity – November 20, 2021

Why are we more confident that a child born to an intermarried Jewish woman will identify Jewishly more readily than the child of an intermarried Jewish man? Drawing on the Biblical story of Dinah, Rabbi Cosgrove opens a conversation on the dynamics of gender, intermarriage, and Jewish identity.

Sermon – Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove – Parents Weekend – November 6, 2021

What makes for successful parenting? Rabbi Cosgrove teaches that unlike the example set by our biblical ancestors, parents can love children equally and infinitely, but differently.

Sermon – Rabbi Ethan Witkovsky – Caring Through Criticism – October 23, 2021

We all love the story of two enemies who become friends, but how can we make it happen? Rabbi Witkovsky uses one of the more obscure relationships in Parashat Va-yera to discuss the importance of giving and receiving criticism in transforming our relationships.

Sermon – Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove – Rebel Without a Cause – October 16, 2021

How do you show that you are a Jew? Rabbi Cosgrove reminds us that we are heirs to Abraham, the iconoclast founder of our people. We must be true to that heritage and proudly assert our Jewish identity.

Sermon – Rabbi Neil Zuckerman – Time to Leave the Ark – October 9, 2021

Life is meaningful when it is shared with others, when we are in relationship with others. Just as God told Noah, “get out of the ark,” it is time to venture outside, and it is time to remind others that when they are ready, it is safe to do so.

Sermon – Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove – Purple Rain – October 2, 2021

What is the theme of our people’s story? As we open the Torah to read once again about the beginning of humanity, Rabbi Cosgrove teaches that our history is a story of persistence in response to setbacks. Faith in the future and in ourselves is as essential today as ever.

Sermon – Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove – After the Fast – September 18, 2021

Where do we go from Yom Kippur? Rabbi Cosgrove reminds us that resetting our moral compass is not a “one-and-done” task, but a lifelong challenge that we meet by a day-after-day commitment toward becoming our aspirational selves.