Park Avenue Synagogue Podcast

Show business wiz Ben Hecht took a shot in the dark one night and expressed the deep need and desire for a Jewish state to a room full of wise guys, which unexpectedly led to a chance encounter with Hillel Kook, the nephew of Rav Kook, the first Chief Rabbi of British Mandatory Palestine. Taking lessons from the legacy of this unlikely couple and Yom Kippur, Rabbi Zuckerman investigates whether we are asking God to write out our lives like a movie script, or to help us write our own stories with the wisdom of God guiding our hands.

At the moment of Yizkor, what do we remember most about our loved ones? By way of the story of Judge Irving Kaufman, Rabbi Cosgrove challenges us to forgive our own foibles and frailties, to live in the present as our best selves, and to remember the best of others.   For more Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove, follow @Elliot_Cosgrove on Instagram and Facebook.   Want to stay connected with PAS? Follow us @ParkAvenueSyn on all platforms, and check out www.pasyn.org for all our virtual and in-person offerings. 

Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove, a respected religious leader advocating for a balanced Zionism, discusses the contemporary challenges Israel faces, marking fifty years since the Yom Kippur War. He highlights the internal tensions threatening Israel's identity as both a Jewish and a democratic state. The conversation delves into the complexities of Zionism, urging a dual approach prioritizing self-defense and liberal values. Cosgrove emphasizes the importance of resilience, unity, and the ongoing commitment to democracy in a rapidly changing landscape.

Has fear kept you from realizing your dreams? Rabbi Koffman asserts that we need to confront our fears to live to our greatest potential.

Many aspects of our world, from learning to entertainment, seem to be getting faster and faster, resulting in instant gratification through vapid hurrying, but at what cost? Rabbi Zuckerman expresses why much of life requires deep, intense encounters rather than the feeling of overnight success.

Some think artificial intelligence will drastically improve our world, and some think it will destroy us, but it's up to us to figure out how to live in a world with AI. Rabbi Zauzmer explores Jewish perspectives on AI and encourages us to strengthen the muscles which make us human, not machine – our emotions, our empathy, and our compassion.

What did the late Rabbi Harold Kushner mean when he said, “We’re more complete if we’re incomplete”? Rabbi Cosgrove explores how we may understand loss and imperfections in our lives.   For more Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove, follow @Elliot_Cosgrove on Instagram and Facebook.   Want to stay connected with PAS? Follow us @ParkAvenueSyn on all platforms, and check out www.pasyn.org for all our virtual and in-person offerings. 

Scientists and rabbis alike have investigated what we can learn from trees. Rabbi Zuckerman explores the many metaphors for how people are more like trees than one may have thought, and how these lessons apply to our entrance into the new year.

As we enter the Days of Awe leading up to Yom Kippur, enjoy Rabbi Cosgrove in conversation with Rabbinic Intern Aiden Pink and Cantorial Intern Sierra Fox as they discuss what called them to serve the Jewish people.   For more Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove, follow @Elliot_Cosgrove on Instagram and Facebook.   Want to stay connected with PAS? Follow us @ParkAvenueSyn on all platforms, and check out www.pasyn.org for all our virtual and in-person offerings. 

To welcome the new year, listen to Rabbi Cosgrove in conversation with Rabbi Michael Strassfeld, one of the editors of The Jewish Catalog, as they discuss his new book, Judaism Disrupted: A Spiritual Manifesto for the 21st Century.   For more Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove, follow @Elliot_Cosgrove on Instagram and Facebook.   Want to stay connected with PAS? Follow us @ParkAvenueSyn on all platforms, and check out www.pasyn.org for all our virtual and in-person offerings.