Park Avenue Synagogue Podcast

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.

Sermon – Rabbi Steven Philp – This Pride, No Equivocation – June 26, 2021

Our tradition teaches us to search for the truth that can be found on both sides of a disagreement. Yet when it comes to the dignity of other people, there can be no equivocation. In celebration of Pride, Rabbi Philp challenges us to create communities that welcome our LGBTQ friends and neighbors.

Sermon – Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove – Rabbi Dr. AaronPanken, Z"l – September 19, 2018

Taking inspiration from his friend and colleague Rabbi Aaron Panken, z”l, Rabbi Cosgrove enjoins us to make the values of our loved ones meaningful in our own lives.

Sermon – Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove – From Pandemic to Purpose – June 19, 2021

Are there any lessons that we should take with us when, please God, the pandemic is but a memory? Rabbi Cosgrove challenges us to appreciate our blessings, to pay attention to the problems that the pandemic has exposed, and to move forward with intention to live meaningful lives.