Podcasts about park avenue synagogue

Diversity of opinion is a key feature of our ancient tradition. Dating back to the Talmud, we have taken pride in our capacity to transcend difference through dialogue. And yet, should there be limits around what constitutes acceptable discourse within Jewish communities? How are those boundaries set? Celebrating the launch of the SAPIR issue on diversity, Park Avenue Synagogue's Senior Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove moderated a discussion with Bret Stephens, SAPIR Editor-in-Chief, Adam Kirsch, SAPIR contributing writer and editor for the The Wall Street Journal's Weekend Review section, and Ariella Saperstein, director of Viewpoint Diversity Initiatives at Maimonides Fund and the associate publisher of SAPIR.This conversation was recorded live at Park Avenue Synagogue in NYC on March 31, 2025. If you have not yet had the opportunity to read the articles discussed in the latest volume of SAPIR, please click on the links below:Viewpoint Diversity — Up to a Point by Bret StephensAre Zionists and Anti-Zionists Arguing for the Sake of Heaven? by Adam Kirsch

We all know that what it means to be a Jew has changed since October 7th, 2023. From the most observant to the least, Jewish life is different than it was before. In his new book, For Such a Time as This, Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove of Park Avenue Synagogue offers a poignant explanation of what it means to be Jewish today. This week, Rabbi Cosgrove joins his friend of thirty years, Rabbi Pont, for a meaningful conversation about this, about searching for our Esther moment in modern times, and about what it means to get back to being a Genesis Jew post October 7th. 

“To be a Jew is to know that because of who we are, because of our historical experience, we care for the other. This is really one of the great tensions of our moment. Of how to be eyes wide open to Israel's need for self-defense, and at the same time recognize the real suffering that's going on in Gaza and to know that we need to find a way to hold both of those together.” Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove, spiritual leader of Park Avenue Synagogue in New York, explores the complexities of Jewish identity in a post-October 7th world in his new book, For Such a Time As This: On Being Jewish Today. In this conversation, he unpacks the tension between Israel's need for self-defense and the suffering experienced by Gazans and Israelis and the challenge of balancing empathy with vigilance. He also shares his personal journey to the rabbinate and what it means to live as a Jew in this pivotal moment. *The views and opinions expressed by guests do not necessarily reflect the views or position of AJC.  Sign up for AJC Global Forum: Register at AJC.org/GlobalForum2025 for the premier global Jewish advocacy conference of the year, in New York City, April 27-29 2025 Listen – AJC Podcasts: The Forgotten Exodus: with Hen Mazzig, Einat Admony, and more. People of the Pod:  The Oldest Holocaust Survivor Siblings: A Tale of Family, Survival, and Hope Israeli Hostages Freed: Inside the Emotional Reunions, High-Stakes Negotiations, and What's Next Bring Them Home: Understanding the Israel-Hamas Hostage Deal and Its Impact Pack One Bag: Stanley Tucci and David Modigliani Uncover His Jewish Family's Escape from Fascism and Antisemitism in 1930s Italy Follow People of the Pod on your favorite podcast app, and learn more at AJC.org/PeopleofthePod You can reach us at: peopleofthepod@ajc.org If you've appreciated this episode, please be sure to tell your friends, and rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. __ Transcript of Conversation with Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove:  Josh Kramer: AJC Global Forum is returning to New York City, April 27 to 29th 2025. I'm Josh Kramer. AJC New York Regional Director, and I hope to see you there. You won't want to miss this opportunity to join with more than 2000 other activists and engage in thought provoking discussions on the future of the Jewish people, Israel, America, and the world.  Our program will feature large plenary sessions with headline speakers, smaller breakout sessions designed to explore the key political, strategic and social concerns affecting the global Jewish community, and exclusive opportunities to engage with diplomats, decision makers, interfaith partners, community leaders and more.  Will you be in the room? Register today at AJC.org/GlobalForum2025 to take part in the premier global Jewish advocacy conference of the year. Now is the time to join AJC in shaping a new future. Head to AJC.org/GlobalForum2025. Manya Brachear Pashman:   I've done quite a bit of soul searching in the 15 months since October 7. How do I grapple with the tragedy in Israel and Gaza and the hatred Jews face on American soil without scaring my children away from Judaism?  Then came our Temple's Purim spiel last spring. That story of Queen Esther's bravery, in some ways, helped. It was about that same time that Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove, the spiritual leader at Park Avenue Synagogue in New York, picked up his pen and began to write his latest book, named for a line in Queen Esther's tale – For Such a Time As This: On Being Jewish Today. Rabbi Cosgrove is with us now. Rabbi, welcome to People of the Pod. Elliot Cosgrove:   Thank you. It's great to be here.  Manya Brachear Pashman:   So I have to tell you, rehearsals began for this year's Purim spiel as I was reading this book, which made it all the more powerful. What inspired you to write this? Elliot Cosgrove:   Well, for me, I draw wisdom from text, and I was trying to think of what would be an analogous moment for what we were going through as American Jews from the ancient text.  And for me, as you say, this is now on the cusp of Purim 2025, it was the story of Esther that we read. And in many of our synagogues, we have Purim spiels, where we act out the story, which is basically the story of a Jewish community of ancient Shushan who believed themselves to have it good, that they were comfortable in the diaspora. And the wicked decree of Haman came down and Esther, whose name actually means to hide, she hid herself, her Jewish identity in the king's palace, and believed that she was comfortable there.  When the decree came down, Mordechai, her uncle, by way of an emissary, sent a message to her. “Don't think yourself to be safe from Haman's decree. Who knows, if it was not for such a time as this that you've arrived at your station.” And I saw this as really the calling card of our moment that we all felt ourselves in the wake of October 7, Esther-like called to action. The trauma of October 7, but also the call to action, to step up to the moment, the needs of our people. Manya Brachear Pashman:   Tell us about your writing process. Elliot Cosgrove:   I buried myself in my writing from before dawn until mid-morning, and then I would hit a wall. And I didn't take a sabbatical. I actually went into my day job as a congregational rabbi. It was a very intense writing process and then in the course of about three to four months sent the manuscript off to the publisher. Manya, the thing about the book is it was very disorienting to write as the events were playing out, both in Israel and in the States. And one of the worries that I had that I spoke to the publisher about was, well, what if this becomes dated? You know, it was not journalism, but I was writing as the news was happening, and the good news and the bad news is that the themes that I pick up on: the trauma of Israel, the blurred line between anti-Zionism and antisemitism, how we balance empathy and vigilance, the question of the hostages, of thinking about a day after for Israel and the Palestinians, these questions are not only still relevant, but they're actually more pressing than ever. So unfortunately, the themes that I hit on in the book, very much present right now. Manya Brachear Pashman:   How did that writing process help you personally process what you were witnessing and experiencing as a Jew in America? Elliot Cosgrove:   I'll say this, that as a rabbi, I often see my job–someone calls, they've just gotten bad news in the hospital, a loved one has passed away. Or a happy thing, that their child has just gotten engaged, or they themselves have just become new parents. And people turn to clergy to get the first line of constructing the narrative of what it is they are experiencing.  And for me, there is something deeply personal and deeply pastoral about this book, because I feel like it's seeking, hopefully, to give the language to American Jews as to how to construct this new reality of a post October 7 existence, the jumble of emotions, of trauma, but also the emergence of Jewish identity, the likes of which we've never seen before, the argument for continued defense of Israel's right to self determination, as well as an assurance that the traumas of October 7 never happen again. And in the same breath to think actively about what does the day after look like. I think we're all searching for language for these and other tensions of our moment, and I'm hoping that the book is sort of a vocabulary builder for our time. Manya Brachear Pashman:   One word that you used many times in the book, and it stuck with me, just because maybe it's one of my favorite words, and that is empathy. And you used it in different chapters, different contexts. And I'm curious if you could share with the audience the role of empathy and how it is a guiding force, how it has been a guiding force since October 7. Elliot Cosgrove:   Empathy, both its presence and its absence, has been a subplot of this moment, because I think empathy is ingrained into the Jewish DNA. You open up the Passover Haggadah, and on the one hand, we know that we are vigilant against every generation a pharaoh arises to destroy us. We are guards up. We are a people who knows the importance of ancient hatreds, of being vigilant against them, and also the ring of fire that Israel sits in by way of Iran and its proxies.  I mean, Israel's in a very tight spot, and American Jewry is in a very tight spot. And at the same time, empathy is who we are. You were once a stranger in a strange land. Therefore you should know the heart of a stranger. To be a Jew is to know that because of who we are, because of our historical experience, we care for the other. And I think that this is really one of the great tensions of our moment of how to, you know, be eyes wide open to Israel's need to self defense, and at the same time recognize the real suffering that's going on in Gaza and and to know that we need to find a way to hold both of those together. That Israel needs to fight this war as if there's no tomorrow, and Israel has to fight this war with an eye to tomorrow, with the same ferocity that it prosecutes this war, it has to pursue a day after plan. And I think that somewhere along the way, it's the voices on the extremes who are speaking with the loudest megaphones. And the goal of this moment is to realize that we need to find a way to embrace both.  I think it was Fitzgerald who said the test of a great mind is the ability to hold two opposing ideas and retain the ability to function. I think the test of the Jewish community right now is the ability to hold both vigilance and empathy at the same time and retain the ability to move forward with hope. Manya Brachear Pashman:   And how can empathy help here on American soil, where we're facing protesters, we're facing all kinds of opposition and questions and hatred because of what's happening overseas. How do we use empathy here on American soil? Elliot Cosgrove:   First of all, it's hard. It's hard. When you are under attack, the last thing anyone wants to do is feel someone else's pain. When someone is calling me a colonialist oppressor, when someone is calling for the destruction of the Jewish state, something which is part and parcel to my identity, core to my very being – my initial instinct is not to inquire into how they feel and have empathy. My initial instinct is to have shields of self-defense, prioritize the needs of my people over anyone else's. I think that's a human thing to do.  And as long as the hostages are hostages, as long as Israel stands in a vulnerable position, I think we need to be eyes wide open to that, and then we need to breathe, and we need to remember what it means to be a Jew.  And we need to remember that it takes two to tango, and that if we are going to create a future whereby Jews and Palestinians can live side by side in safety and self determination, then we need to realize that there are two peoples worthy of realizing that dream, and that requires empathy, Manya. Manya Brachear Pashman:   You were not always that religious or observant of your religious tradition. Can you tell our audience how you became a rabbi? Elliot Cosgrove:   How long do we have? This is a big question, but, look as with any way we construct our realities and tell our origin stories, there are a million ways to tell it. The truth of the matter is, I am the grandson of a congregational rabbi, an orthodox rabbi. So to say that I had somehow strayed from the path is a little bit of an overstatement. But I will say that I grew up in a traditional Jewish background. I'm very proud of the home I grew up in, but when I went off to college, it was very much something I did, Judaism was something I did at home. And I can't say that my first few years at my alma mater at University of Michigan were known by way of my religious affiliations and commitments. And then I got a phone call my junior year of college, that a figure from my youth, a grandfather figure I never really knew. My grandparents had passed away, and he was a guy who used to sit next to us in synagogue and slip me up peppermint candy as the rabbi was about to start the sermon or come over for Passover Seders or Shabbat dinner, Mr. Gendun, and he had passed away. And I got the phone call. I said, What would Mr. Gendun want me to do? And I thought, maybe I'll say Kaddish.  So I called one of my Jewishy friends. I had never been inside the Hillel building up until that moment. And I called up one of my Jewishy friends and I said, What's, where's the Hillel? And they said, you're an idiot, Elliot. It's this huge building right on campus at Michigan. And I went in and I said my Kaddish, and I was getting up like it was the end of an airplane ride just to run back out to whatever my evening plans were.  And a man stood between me and the door, boxing me out, and I was trying to shimmy one way and the other. And he said, I notice you've never been here before. And he said, Well, I'm wondering if you'd like to come to Shabbat dinner. And I lied, truth be told, because I figure he didn't want to know about dollar pitcher night. And I said, I already have Shabbat plans. And he said, Well, do you have Shabbat plans next week? And I was caught in my tracks, and I said, No, and before I could say another word, he said, Good, then you'll come over for Shabbat dinner.  And that man was Michael Brooks, who was the Hillel Director of the Michigan Hillel. I went over to Shabbat dinner. I got involved in the Israel group. I was an editor of the student journal. I sat on the Hillel governing board. One thing led to the other, and I became a rabbi. But important [as] that story is obviously in my own religious formation and choice of vocation, is how it informs my own life and my own rabbinate. It's that ability to look around the room when you're in a class, a Jewish event, a service, and who's the person who looks a little out of place like they might have been there for the very first time, and just do that small human act of reaching out to them, and whether you're going to invite them to Shabbat dinner or not, but just to acknowledge their humanity, that has been the north star of my rabbinate ever since. We're all just human beings looking for a place to hang our hats. Manya Brachear Pashman:   You talk about empathy. I think empathy caught my attention every time you mentioned it in the book, because I think it's so key to journalism. It's such an important component of it. And then I think hospitality is such an important component to Judaism and to congregational life, Elliot Cosgrove:   Absolutely. Hospitality is something that is key to our text at the beginning of the Passover Seder. But hospitality is also a spiritual demeanor that we welcome people into our souls, into our presence, into our life. Hachnasat Orchim in Hebrew, this idea that there's always space within our souls, within our hearts.  Manya Brachear Pashman:   Having had such an important turning point on a university campus, how did you interact with, council, university students during this time, as they were facing such pressures and such opposition, crushing opposition during this past year and a half? Elliot Cosgrove:   So there's a chapter about that in the book. It's really the part of the book that I think has struck a nerve, and appropriately so, because I'm the father of four college age or thereabouts children.  And that story I tell about Maya, and Maya is a young woman who, I joke, shares half a brain with my own college age daughter. She's grown up in my household, and she is what you or I might identify as a non Zionist Gen zer, and she approached me and perhaps reproached me for having a Israeli flag on the pulpit, for doing the prayer for the State of Israel in the midst of the service, and said, you know, and she grew up in the Jewish Day School. She grew up going to Jewish summer camp. She did gap year programs in Israel.  Not a small amount of money has been invested in the Mayas of the world, and she herself is asking whether or not her liberal, American Jewish self can be simpatico with the policies of this or that Israeli government, because they don't speak for her sensibility. And to this question of empathy, I think the first move one makes in any such situation is to try to understand where the other person is coming from.  And I think a 21, 22, 23 year old is coming of age in a moment of time where the only Prime Minister they know of is Bibi Netanyahu, who either is or is beholden to the most right-wing elements of Israeli society. The only policies they know of the Israeli government are an expansionist policy in the West Bank, which has precluded the possibility of a two state solution. The only paradigm they have is an Israel which is a Goliath to the Palestinian David, this is their reality.  You can't blame someone for the time into which they are born. I can pick apart and engage in a dialog on what's true and what's not true. But to tell someone that their reality is not, their reality is is not, you know, a move that one can make. And by the way, if they're during the time of the judicial reform, and to this day, there are 1000s of Israelis marching on the streets on a Saturday night protesting the Israeli government as an expression of their love of country.  To tell the Mayas of the world, a college age student today, that they are treif, they are beyond the bounds of Jewish discourse, for doing the exact same thing is just an argument that doesn't hold water anymore. And so the the the goal here, Manya, is to engage with their questions, to listen intently, to prompt that young mind to come up with their own answers for the defense and the well being of the Jewish people, given the harsh realities that Israel faces, and also to make room for their very real question. So I look long on the Maya generation. It's actually a controversial moment within the organized Jewish community –do we write them off, do we not write them off? I think they're our future, and I think we do terrible damage to ourselves if we write them off. Manya Brachear Pashman:   Because it is such a time as this. We have to pay attention to the context, right, and to where we are in history, without losing sight of history. Elliot Cosgrove:   Look, it's very easy to take pot shots from the left and from the right. You know where this brave space is. The brave space is standing in the middle and dignifying the claims and counterclaims of both sides, and knowing that real leadership is trying to keep our people together. Manya Brachear Pashman:   Your book does such a beautiful job of inspiring that sense, sparking those, those right emotions in my head. So thank you so much for writing it. And I encourage all of our listeners to pick up a copy of Rabbi Cosgrove's book–For Such a Time as This: On Being Jewish Today. It is full of challenges, and I think that the challenge is worth facing and taking on. Thank you. Elliot Cosgrove:   Thank you so much, Manya.

In this special episode, Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback interviews Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove of Park Avenue Synagogue about his inspiring new book, "For Such a Time as This: Being Jewish Today." Together, they dive into the challenges and opportunities of post-October 7 Judaism, the power of stepping up, showing up, and making a meaningful difference, and the enduring importance of Jewish community in these turbulent times.Don't miss this thoughtful and timely discussion on leadership, resilience, and the bonds that unite the Jewish community.  

We are celebrating the safe return of three female hostages held in captivity by Hamas. They are Romi Gonen, 24, Emily Damari, 28, and Doron Steinbrecher, 31.In this episode, I've dug into The MirYam Institute archives to bring you two unique briefings we facilitated, both made by the family members of hostages whose loved ones are yet to return home. I've done so in order to share the ongoing anguish of too many hostage family members, who despite the scenes of happiness we all saw on this day, still do not know the fate of their loved ones. The first features Galia David, mother of Evyatar David. Evyatar was 23 years of age when he was abducted into Gaza. Because of his age and gender, he is cynically deemed to be a "man of age" by Hamas, a category of hostage that will only be released during the very final stages of this deal. In this episode of the show, his mother Galia is recorded addressing herself to the congregation of Park Avenue Synagogue in Manhattan, New York, on January 7th, 2024, flanked by her son Ilay David. The second features Itzhar Lifshitz. Both of Itzhars' aged parents, Oded and Yocheved, were kidnapped by Hamas. Yocheved was released by Hamas during the previous hostage release deal. His father, Oded, remains in Hamas captivity and is expected to be released during the first, 42 day long phase, of the hostage release deal due to his age, having been kidnaped at the age of 83. Izhar joined the MirYam Institute's Israel Strategy and Policy tour, 2024 - a tour of The Nazi Death camps that we facilitate for cadets and future officers of the United States Armed Forces. In this conversation, recorded in May, 2024, in Warsaw, Poland, Itzhar shares his thoughts on the fate of his father, before taking questions from the cadets.Support the showThe MirYam Institute. Israel's Future in Israel's Hands.Subscribe to our podcast: https://podfollow.com/1493910771Follow The MirYam Institute X: https://bit.ly/3jkeUyxFollow Benjamin Anthony X: https://bit.ly/3hZeOe9Like Benjamin Anthony Facebook: https://bit.ly/333Ct93Like The MirYam Institute Facebook: https://bit.ly/2SarHI3Follow Benjamin Anthony Instagram: https://bit.ly/30m6uPGFollow The MirYam Institute Instagram: https://bit.ly/3l5fvED

Today on Jewish Studies Unscrolled, we talk about Bruce Springsteen and his iconic song “Thunder Road.” While Springsteen himself isn't Jewish, this song, and his songwriting in general, invites reflections on themes central to Jewish life: tradition, leaving home, and coming back again. We're joined by noted Bruce fans, Park Avenue Synagogue rabbis Elliot Cosgrove and Neil Zuckerman. Drawing on their personal connections to the song and their shared journey through rabbinical training, Cosgrove and Zuckerman unpack the spiritual resonance of Springsteen's work, asking why certain texts—whether Torah or rock lyrics—speak to us anew across the decades.  You can buy Rabbi Cosgrove's book, For Such a Time as This: On Being Jewish Today, here. 

Rabbi Dr Elliot Cosgrove discusses his timely new book:-For Such A Time As This: On Being Jewish TodayElliot Cosgrove is a leading voice of American Jewry and a preeminent spiritual guide and thought leader. The rabbi of Park Avenue Synagogue since 2008, he was ordained at the Jewish Theological Seminary in 1999 and earned his PhD at the University of Chicago Divinity School. He sits on the Chancellor's Cabinet of Jewish Theological Seminary and on the editorial board of Masorti: The New Journal of Conservative Judaism. An officer of the New York Board of Rabbis, he serves on the boards of UJA-Federation of New York, the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, and the Hillel of University of Michigan and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Rabbi Cosgrove was honored to represent the Jewish community at the National September 11 Memorial and Museum during the visit of Pope Francis to New York. A frequent contributor to Jewish journals and periodicals, he is the author of fifteen volumes of sermons and the editor of Jewish Theology in Our Time.

Elliott Abrams, CFR senior fellow for Middle Eastern studies, and Elliot Cosgrove, rabbi of Park Avenue Synagogue, discuss the evolving role of the Jewish diaspora in shaping U.S. policy towards the Middle East, the challenges of fostering unity within the Jewish community, and the broader implications for international relations. Asher Lopatin, rabbi of Kehillat Etz Chayim,  moderates the discussion.

Elliott Abrams, CFR senior fellow for Middle Eastern studies, and Elliot Cosgrove, rabbi of Park Avenue Synagogue, discuss the evolving role of the Jewish diaspora in shaping U.S. policy towards the Middle East, the challenges of fostering unity within the Jewish community, and the broader implications for international relations. Asher Lopatin, rabbi of Kehillat Etz Chayim, moderates the discussion.

In his new and widely acclaimed book — “For Such a Time as This: On Being Jewish Today” — Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove of Park Avenue Synagogue in NYC uses Jewish history and storytelling to frame the challenges facing the Jewish community post-Oct 7 … the individual and collective grief and sense of isolation … and […] The post Post-October 7, Reaching for Community, Future and Hope: A Conversation with Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove appeared first on Plaza Jewish Community Chapel.

"From the Frontlines" is an ADL podcast which brings listeners to the frontline in the battle against antisemitism and hate. The anniversary of October 7th was a difficult day for all people of good will who mourned the horrific loss of innocent life, the brutalization of many more who were injured and the inhuman taking of hostages. Today's show reflects on that trauma but also the antisemitism that ensued, the soul searching by the Jewish community in the US over the past year, the surge in Jewish identity building, and the many questions with which we are left one year later. The guides for this journey are Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove, Senior Rabbi of Park Avenue Synagogue in New York City, and ADL CEO and National Director Jonathan Greenblatt. The idea for this conversation grew out of Rabbi Cosgrove's insightful new book on the post 10/7 reality, entitled, “For Such a Time as This: On Being Jewish Today.” Truly a special show and an extraordinary lineup to help us understand this difficult moment in which we find ourselves. As always, the host for this podcast is ADL New York/New Jersey Director Scott Richman. For details on Rabbi Cosgrove's new book, visit: https://pasyn.org/program/such-time-being-jewish-today. This podcast was recorded on October 22, 2024.

We'd love to hear your thoughts on the podcast. Take the survey here or at wbur.org/survey. We discuss the latest in politics with Jonathan Martin of Politico and Julia Terruso of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Then, former President Donald Trump is vowing to "save vaping." His promise comes after he reportedly met with a leading e-cigarette representative. Tevi Troy, author and former lobbyist for JUUL, joins us. And, Yom Kippur begins Friday night. Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove of the Park Avenue Synagogue talks about the holiday, last year's Oct. 7 attacks, and what it means to be Jewish today.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Abby is joined by Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove, Senior Rabbi of New York's Park Avenue Synagogue and a leading voice in modern Judaism, to discuss his new book, "For Such a Time As This: On Being Jewish Today," which chronicles his response -- on the bimah and off -- to the horrors of October 7th, and his diagnosis of the changed landscaped for Jewish identity and connection.

In this episode of Israel Policy Pod, Israel Policy Forum CEO David Halperin hosts Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove, Senior Rabbi at Park Avenue Synagogue. They discuss key themes from Rabbi Cosgrove's new book, For Such a Time as This: On Being Jewish Today—including the effect of October 7 on American Jews, the generational divide of Israel views, lessons learned from this past year, and more.Watch our video briefing with Ksenia Svetlova on the recent escalation between Israel and Hezbollah here. Support the showFollow us on Instagram and Twitter/X, and subscribe to our email list here.

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world. Today, we bring you a bonus episode of What Matters Now, a weekly podcast exploring one key issue currently shaping Israel and the Jewish World. This episode features host Amanda Borschel-Dan speaking with Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove. Cosgrove is a leading voice in Conservative Judaism, who has served as head rabbi of New York's Park Avenue Synagogue since 2008. We speak about his soon-to-be-published book, "For Such a Time as This: On Being Jewish Today" (Harper Collins), which was written after the October 7 Hamas massacre of 1,200 and abduction of 251. The book is a blend of memoir, Torah study and reflection on what it means to be a Jew in the Diaspora today even as Israel continues its war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Using the October 7 onslaught as a touchstone, the book is roughly divided into past, present and future and examines the connection between American Jewry and Israel throughout the decades. Cosgrove addresses concerns such as a new generation of young Jewish Americans who are proud of their religious heritage, but repudiate the nationalism exhibited by the Jewish state. So this week, we ask Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove, what matters now. For news updates, please check out The Times of Israel's ongoing live blog. Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod Waves. IMAGE: Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove, head rabbi of New York's Park Avenue Synagogue, holding his new book, 'For Such a Time as This: On Being Jewish Today,' September 11, 2024. (Courtesy)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to What Matters Now, a weekly podcast exploring one key issue currently shaping Israel and the Jewish World with host Amanda Borschel-Dan. This week, we're joined by Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove, a leading voice in Conservative Judaism, who has served as head rabbi of New York's Park Avenue Synagogue since 2008. We speak about his soon-to-be-published book, "For Such a Time as This: On Being Jewish Today" (Harper Collins), which was written after the October 7 Hamas massacre of 1,200 and abduction of 251. The book is a blend of memoir, Torah study and reflection on what it means to be a Jew in the Diaspora today even as Israel continues its war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Using the October 7 onslaught as a touchstone, the book is roughly divided into past, present and future and examines the connection between American Jewry and Israel throughout the decades. Cosgrove addresses concerns such as a new generation of young Jewish Americans who are proud of their religious heritage, but repudiate the nationalism exhibited by the Jewish state. So this week, we ask Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove, what matters now. What Matters Now podcasts are available for download on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.  IMAGE: Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove, head rabbi of New York's Park Avenue Synagogue, holding his new book, 'For Such a Time as This: On Being Jewish Today,' September 11, 2024. (courtesy)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tanya Hansen has the morning's top stories from the WCBS newsroom.

Listen to Rabbi Cosgrove's interview with James S. Snyder, long-time Park Avenue Synagogue member, art historian, and Director of The Jewish Museum, as they discuss the mission of The Jewish Museum, and Jewish art and expression at this point in Jewish history.   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.

The girls welcome Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove of the Park Avenue Synagogue for a very serious conversation about faith and Jewish identity in 2024, Anti-Zionist Jews, compassion, and what the future may hold for America's Jews.* The Interview beings 31 minutes in, after we catch up on Yael's meditation retreat and other spiritual adventures.Park Avenue SynagogueRabbi Cosgrove's Sermons Joing the AAJ conversation on Susbtack! askajew.substack.comEmail us your questions askajewpod@gmail.com ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Want to help us grow? Rate and review us 5 stars on Apple podcasts and Spotify ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

Get ready for Passover with Jewish Lives. Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove of Park Avenue Synagogue and Professor Daniel Matt, author of Becoming Elijah: Prophet of Transformation, explore the life and legacy of the prophet Elijah, one of the most popular figures in Jewish folklore. This episode comes from the Park Avenue Synagogue Podcast.  

Part two of my mini-series featuring the righteous women of the holy land.Elana Rozenfeld is a cantor, performer, teacher, songwriter and theatre artist, who grew up teacher in musical theatre, jazz, chazzanut (traditional cantorial singing) and Yeshiva music, while also having a secret love of all things Sephardic. After receiving her BFA at the Tisch School of the Arts in NYU, focusing on solo performance, she entered the HL Miller Cantorial School at JTS to develop mastery of her Jewish musical traditions. Since then, she has served as cantor at Park Avenue Synagogue in NYC and Congregation Shirat Hayam in Swampscott, MA. Elana also served as the interim director of the School for Jewish Music at Hebrew College in Newton, MA. Today, Elana lives in Kiryat Tivon, Israel, with her husband and three children, enjoying being a freelancing, singing, performing, and songwriting mommy. Go to https://www.soldierssavelives.org/to donate right now to soliders who need GEAR Holy Sparks DONATIONSclick the link below to make a 100% tax deductible donationto help keep the Holy Sparks Podcast in productionhttp://igfn.us/form/haHSSQon instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/theholysparkspodcast/to watch the show on you tube go to https://www.youtube.com/@holysparks23www.holysparks.tv

SAPIR Institute Director Chanan Weissman hosted a conversation about the future of synagogue life in a time of disruption with Rabbi Elliot J. Cosgrove of Park Avenue Synagogue in New York City and Rabbi Rachel Isaacs of the Center for Small Town Jewish Life in Maine. They explored the shock of the October 7 attacks, the long-term structural changes brought on by the Covid pandemic, and their visions for the synagogue in a digital age.

Editor-in-Chief Bret Stephens, Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove of Park Avenue Synagogue, and Rachel Fish, co-founder of the nonprofit Boundless, discuss the geopolitical impact of the war in Israel, the implications for the American Jewish community, and our collective responsibilities during this crisis and beyond. This Conversation is presented in partnership with Park Avenue Synagogue.

Haaretz Military Correspondent Amos Harel joins Tel Aviv-based journalist and Israel Policy Forum Policy Advisor Neri Zilber to analyze how the passage of the Netanyahu government's first judicial overhaul bill is impacting—and likely damaging—Israeli national security. They discuss the growing wave of Israeli military reservists threatening to stop reporting for duty, the scale of the unrest inside the Israel Defense Forces, the recent conduct of key security officials like Defense Minister Galant and Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi, and the prospects for a military escalation between Israel and Hezbollah amid the domestic political crisis.Register for our video briefing today (July 26) at 2pm ET with Neri Zilber and Masua SagivListen to Chief Policy Officer Michael Koplow speak about Israel's political crisis on the War on the Rocks podcastRegister for IPF Atid's virtual community check-in for young professionals this Friday (July 28) at 2pm ETWatch this week's Israel Policy Pause with Alex Lederman on the wider implications of ending the reasonableness standardRegister for Central Synagogue's video briefing with Michael Koplow at 8:30pm ET on Thursday, July 27Register for Park Avenue Synagogue's video briefing with David Halperin at 12:30pm ET on Thursday, July 27Explore Israel Policy Forum's Judicial Legislation TrackerSupport the show

This Shabbat is the second day of Shavuot—a good time to think about our relationship to the Torah as a source of law (halakhah) that is supposed to shape how we live every day.  Problem: For most of us, it doesn't.  The Torah says: keep kosher. Many of us don't.  The Torah says: observe Shabbat. For many of us, Saturday is not Shabbat but another weekend day, not particularly distinguishable from Sunday.  The Torah (as the rabbis interpret it) says: we are obligated to pray daily. Many of us don't. Perhaps we come to shul when we have a Yahrtzeit, or when we are invited to a Bar/Bat Mitzvah or an auf ruf. But few of us actually believe we are required to pray every day. Witness that in our congregation of almost 4,000 souls, we average 20 to 40 people at our daily minyanim.  The Torah we received at Sinai posits a commanding God whose commands we are obligated to observe.  Few, if any of us, believe in that commanding God.  There is a disconnect between the commanding God we are supposed to believe in and the autonomous lives we lead, where we do what we want to do, when we want to do it.   How do we understand this disconnect? Can we solve for it, or at least ameliorate it?  To consider these questions, please read the attached article by Elliot Cosgrove, the rabbi of Park Avenue Synagogue in New York, “A Choosing People,” published in Sources: A Journal of Jewish Ideas, Spring 2023. In addition, Rabbi Cosgrove was in dialogue with Yehuda Kurtzer in this recent podcast.  Rabbi Cosgrove asserts:   While the language of “obligation” may have run its course, “commandedness” has not. The performance of mitzvot as an expression of service to God remains a powerful driver for Jewish practice.  Can we resuscitate commandedness as a relevant category in our religious lives? If not, do you have an elegant theory that explains why you do what you do as a Jew? What is your personal definition of the word mitzvah?

This week, Rabbi Cosgrove is joined by author, former broadcast journalist, and Park Avenue Synagogue member, Dr. Georgette Bennett. Listen as they discuss her human rights work in Syria, the origins of anti-religious violence, and her recent books Thou Shalt Not Stand Idly By: How One Woman Confronted the Greatest Humanitarian Crisis of Our Time and Religicide: Confronting the Roots of Anti-Religious Violence.   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. 

For the majority of American Jews today, commitment to halakha (Jewish law) is not the engine that drives religious life. Instead, most American Jews see their lived Judaism as the product of their own choices, which may or may not have anything to do with Jewish law. In this episode, Elliot Cosgrove, rabbi of the Conservative congregation of Park Avenue Synagogue in New York City, joins host Yehuda Kurtzer for a conversation about his recent article in Sources: A Journal of Jewish Ideas, which argues that liberal Jewish institutions have not properly responded to this reality. Together, they discuss what it might mean to make the case for mitzvot (commandments) within a framework of an autonomous, choice-driven Judaism.

In this special edition podcast in honor of the start of baseball season, Rabbi Cosgrove is in dialogue with New York Mets Assistant General Manager, and Park Avenue Synagogue member, Ben Zauzmer. Listen as they discuss new rules, how analytics impacts today's game, and more. Listen to this bonus episode ahead of the Mets-Braves matchup this weekend at Citi Field!   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. 

In this special edition of the podcast, Rabbi Cosgrove speaks with author Richard Hurowitz about his new book, In the Garden of the Righteous, which illustrates previously unknown stories of righteous gentiles, who at risk to their own lives, saved Jews from certain death during the Holocaust. Hurowitz will also speak at Park Avenue Synagogue on Monday, April 17 at 7:00 pm in honor of Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day.     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. 

In recognition of “National Donate Life Month,” Rabbi Neil Zuckerman — Associate Rabbi at Park Avenue Synagogue in New York — joins Exit Strategy host Stephanie Garry to talk about the place of organ donation in end-of-life conversations … and within the framework of Jewish thought and practice. More Information: National Donate Life Month https://donatelife.net/how-you-can-help/national-observances-celebrations/ndlm/ […] The post Organ Donation as a Mitzvah: Rabbi Neil Zuckerman of Park Avenue Synagogue, NYC appeared first on Plaza Jewish Community Chapel.

Listen as Rabbi Cosgrove and Dr. Richard Haass, President of the Council on Foreign Relations and Park Avenue Synagogue member, discuss Dr. Haass' new book – The Bill of Obligations: The Ten Habits of Good Citizens. 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.

Listen as Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove speaks with former CNN correspondent and current Park Avenue Synagogue member, Deborah Feyerick, on the state of journalism today. 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.

Have you ever experienced that feeling of overwhelm when it's time to put your home on the market, but you've accumulated so much stuff, and are not sure how to begin the decluttering and staging process? Well, there are organizers out there that can help decrease the overwhelm and leave you with a beautifully staged home! In this episode, Naeemah chats with Marla Alt, owner of 123 Organize. They talk about the process of home staging and why you should consider staging your home before you're ready to sell. Westchester-based Marla Alt, known professionally as the "Moving Whisperer", founded moving, staging, and organizing company 123 Organize in 2005 after discovering her talent and passion for helping people with their home needs. Her business has since won awards, such as Best of Westchester 2021 for Best Home Stager and Best Closet Organizer. A former teacher for 30+ years, Marla's positive spirit and soothing demeanor have proved invaluable throughout the years, especially during the trying times of the pandemic. Marla and her husband, Jeff, are now empty nesters as their five children have left the nest. They enjoy spending time with their children, and traveling to visit their grandchildren. Marla's favorite hobby is continuing the Alt family tradition of baking, and she can frequently be found treating clients to her homemade baked goods. She has been a former board member of her synagogue, and has held various roles with Park Avenue Synagogue. With a degree in Business and International Marketing from the Rochester Institute of Technology. Marla has gone on to join NAPO, NAPO Golden Circle, NASMM, The Female Founder Collective, HSE, and Collaberex. She is happiest at the completion of a project when the 123organize team has gone above and beyond a client's expectations… That's the 123 standard she lives by! For more information about Marla, visit her website https://www.123organize.com/ For more information about Naeemah, check out her website https://naeemahfordgoldson.com/ Follow Naeemah on Social Media! https://www.youtube.com/user/RestoreOrderNow https://www.facebook.com/RestoreOrderNow https://www.pinterest.com/restoreordernow/pins https://twitter.com/RestoreOrder https://www.instagram.com/restore_order_now --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/naeemah-ford-goldson/message

In this episode, Cherise is joined by Mary Burnham, Founding Partner, and Sara Grant, Partner, from Murphy Burnham & Buttrick or “MBB” Architects in New York City. Mary and Sara share their experience working on the Park Avenue Synagogue in Manhattan. To meet the growing needs of one of the largest Jewish congregations in North America, MBB crafted a comprehensive plan for the Park Avenue Synagogue that transformed it from a place focused on worship into an educational and community hub.This 6-story, 65,500-square-foot building renovation focused on creating welcoming community spaces for this vibrant and growing congregation to gather. Redesigned circulation includes a glassy stair off the lobby with materials and detailing that are consistent with the stair MBB recently designed for Park Avenue Synagogue's Center for Lifelong Learning at 89th Street. Similar details include a vertical niche housing an installation of historic stained glassed windows created by the American artist Adolf Gottlieb for Park Avenue Synagogue during the 1950s. The installation creates a visual connection to Park Avenue Synagogue's new, recently completed building and honors the synagogue's rich history. To see project photos and details discussed, visit arcat.com/podcast This project has unique challenges and opportunities - a compressed 18 month design and construction schedule, there were periods of occupancy for service during construction, the adaptive reuse of the existing building inspired a design that honors the synagogue's rich history, and much more.If you enjoy this show, you can find similar content at Gābl Media.

Listen as Rabbi Cosgrove discusses cutting edge issues in sports (and a little Judaism) with HBO's Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel correspondent Jon Frankel, a longtime member of Park Avenue Synagogue.     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 explores the lessons of leadership that may be drawn from Korach. Ordained at the Jewish Theological Seminary in 1999, Rabbi Cosgrove earned his PhD at the University of Chicago Divinity School. His dissertation on Rabbi Louis Jacobs, a leading Anglo-Jewish theologian of the 20th century, reflects his passion for the intersection of Jewish scholarship and faith. Rabbi Cosgrove is the author of twelve collections of selected sermons, In the Beginning (2009), An Everlasting Covenant (2010), Go Forth! (2011), Hineni (2012), A Place to Lodge (2013), Living Waters (2014), Stairway to Heaven (2015), Rise Up! (2016), A Coat of Many Colors (2017), Provisions for the Way (2018), Tree of Life (2019), and Bring Them Close (2020). He is the editor of Jewish Theology in Our Time: A New Generation Explores the Foundations and Future of Jewish Belief. His essays and op-eds appear frequently in a variety of Jewish publications, including The Jewish Week and the Forward.Under Rabbi Cosgrove's leadership, Park Avenue Synagogue seeks to inspire, educate, and support its membership toward living passion-filled Jewish lives. The rabbi aspires to make Park Avenue Synagogue a beit tefillah, a beit midrash, and a beit knesset – a house of prayer, learning, and gathering – and a kehillah kedoshah, a holy congregation, where national Jewish conversations are lived.

How do we ensure that Judaism is carried on from generation to generation? In his article for the third issue of SAPIR, Rabbi Cosgrove identified a path forward aimed at reinvigorating a searching American Jewry. “It is only by way of mitzvot, the positive acts of Jewish identification, the language and behaviors of the Jewish religion, that Judaism will survive,” he writes. “Mitzvot are the mystic chords, the commitments and commandments by which one Jew connects to another–and, belief permitting, to God.” Cosgrove and SAPIR Editor-in-Chief Bret Stephens discussed this article and the ways the American Jewish community intersects with today's cultural, social, and political issues in this live event at Park Avenue Synagogue.

What if we threw a rally for Israel and nobody showed up? Rabbi Cosgrove speaks to the battle for the soul of American Jewry and the continued importance of investing in Israel’s future and well-being. For more information about services and programs at Park Avenue Synagogue, visit our website at https://pasyn.org.

Synopsis Primitive man probably imitated animal sounds for both practical and religious reasons. More recently, the Baroque-era composer Heinrich Franz von Biber imitated one particular animal for COMIC effect in his “Sonata Representing Animals,” and, in early 20th century slang, it’s simply “the cat’s meow.” Now speaking of cats, they’re supposed to have nine lives–but would you believe 8,949? On today’s date in 1981, “Cats,” a musical by the British composer Andrew Lloyd Webber opened at the New London Theatre in that city’s fashionable West End. Despite a bomb threat and brief evacuation of the theatre, the premiere of “Cats” was a great success. 8,949 performances later, on the same date in 2002, when the show finally closed, it had long since entered the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest-running musical to date. In London, it took in 136 million British pounds in ticket sales. Worldwide, “Cats” has taken in billions of dollars, has been seen by millions, and has been performed in 11 different languages in over 26 countries. And if you asked YOUR cat to comment on all this, he or she would probably say, “Why are you surprised?” and saunter away. Music Played in Today's Program Heinrich Ignaz Franz von Biber (1644 – 1704) Sonata violino solo representativa Il Giardino Armonico; Giovanni Antonini, cond. Teldec 21464 Andrew Lloyd Webber (b. 1948) Cats Overture Original Broadway Cast orchestra Geffen 22031 On This Day Births 1791 - Bohemian composer Jan Václav (Johann) Voríšek(Worzischek), in Vamberk; 1855 - Russian composer Anatoly Liadov, in St. Petersburg (Julian date: April 29); 1888 - American popular song composer Irving Berlin (Isidore Balin) inTemun, Russia (Julian date: April 29); 1895 - American composer William Grant Still, in Woodville, Miss.; 1954 - Scottish composer Judith Weir, in Aberdeen; Deaths 1849 - German composer Otto Nicolai, age 38, in Berlin; 1916 - German composer, Max Reger, age 43, in Leipzig; 1947 - Swedish composer Ture Rangström, age 62, in Stockholm; Premieres 1728 - Handel: opera "Tolomeo, re d'Egitto" (Julian date: April 30); 1917 - Busoni: opera "Arlecchino" (Harlequin) and "Turandot" in Zürich at the Stadttheater; 1945 - Bernstein: "Hashkiveinu" (text from the Sabbath Evening Service) for Cantor, Choir and Organ, at Park Avenue Synagogue in New York City, by Cantor David Puttterman, Max Heffman conducting; 1948 - Cowell: "Hymn, Chorale, and Fuguing Tune" No. 8 for strings, at Florida State University Recital Hall by the School of Music Faculty String Quartet; 1955 - Bliss: Violin Concerto, in London; 1963 - William Grant Still: opera "A Southern Interlude," by the University of Miami Opera; This opera was later revised as "Highway 1, U.S.A."; 1966 - Andrew Imbrie: Symphony No. 1, by the San Francisco Symphony; 1981 - Andrew Lloyd-Webber: musical "Cats" (after T.S. Eliot's "Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats") in London at the New London Theatre; This enormously popular and long-running musical opened on Broadway on October 7, 1982; 1984 - John Harbison: "Ulysses' Bow," by the New Haven Symphony, Murry Sidlin conducting; 1995 - John Adams: musical "I Was Looking at the Ceiling and Then I Saw the Sky"at the Zellerbach Playhouse in Berkeley, California, with the Paul Dresher Ensemble conducted by Grant Gershon; 2000 - Colin Matthews: "Pluto The Renewer" (as a new contribution to Gustav Holst's "The Planet"), in Manchester, by the Hallé Orchestra, Kent Nagano conducting; 2002 - Kenneth Frazelle: "Concerto for Chamber Orchestra," in Glendale, Calif., by the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Jeffrey Kahane conducting. Links and Resources On Biber On Lloyd Webber's "Cats" More on Andrew Lloyd Webber

Synopsis Primitive man probably imitated animal sounds for both practical and religious reasons. More recently, the Baroque-era composer Heinrich Franz von Biber imitated one particular animal for COMIC effect in his “Sonata Representing Animals,” and, in early 20th century slang, it’s simply “the cat’s meow.” Now speaking of cats, they’re supposed to have nine lives–but would you believe 8,949? On today’s date in 1981, “Cats,” a musical by the British composer Andrew Lloyd Webber opened at the New London Theatre in that city’s fashionable West End. Despite a bomb threat and brief evacuation of the theatre, the premiere of “Cats” was a great success. 8,949 performances later, on the same date in 2002, when the show finally closed, it had long since entered the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest-running musical to date. In London, it took in 136 million British pounds in ticket sales. Worldwide, “Cats” has taken in billions of dollars, has been seen by millions, and has been performed in 11 different languages in over 26 countries. And if you asked YOUR cat to comment on all this, he or she would probably say, “Why are you surprised?” and saunter away. Music Played in Today's Program Heinrich Ignaz Franz von Biber (1644 – 1704) Sonata violino solo representativa Il Giardino Armonico; Giovanni Antonini, cond. Teldec 21464 Andrew Lloyd Webber (b. 1948) Cats Overture Original Broadway Cast orchestra Geffen 22031 On This Day Births 1791 - Bohemian composer Jan Václav (Johann) Voríšek(Worzischek), in Vamberk; 1855 - Russian composer Anatoly Liadov, in St. Petersburg (Julian date: April 29); 1888 - American popular song composer Irving Berlin (Isidore Balin) inTemun, Russia (Julian date: April 29); 1895 - American composer William Grant Still, in Woodville, Miss.; 1954 - Scottish composer Judith Weir, in Aberdeen; Deaths 1849 - German composer Otto Nicolai, age 38, in Berlin; 1916 - German composer, Max Reger, age 43, in Leipzig; 1947 - Swedish composer Ture Rangström, age 62, in Stockholm; Premieres 1728 - Handel: opera "Tolomeo, re d'Egitto" (Julian date: April 30); 1917 - Busoni: opera "Arlecchino" (Harlequin) and "Turandot" in Zürich at the Stadttheater; 1945 - Bernstein: "Hashkiveinu" (text from the Sabbath Evening Service) for Cantor, Choir and Organ, at Park Avenue Synagogue in New York City, by Cantor David Puttterman, Max Heffman conducting; 1948 - Cowell: "Hymn, Chorale, and Fuguing Tune" No. 8 for strings, at Florida State University Recital Hall by the School of Music Faculty String Quartet; 1955 - Bliss: Violin Concerto, in London; 1963 - William Grant Still: opera "A Southern Interlude," by the University of Miami Opera; This opera was later revised as "Highway 1, U.S.A."; 1966 - Andrew Imbrie: Symphony No. 1, by the San Francisco Symphony; 1981 - Andrew Lloyd-Webber: musical "Cats" (after T.S. Eliot's "Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats") in London at the New London Theatre; This enormously popular and long-running musical opened on Broadway on October 7, 1982; 1984 - John Harbison: "Ulysses' Bow," by the New Haven Symphony, Murry Sidlin conducting; 1995 - John Adams: musical "I Was Looking at the Ceiling and Then I Saw the Sky"at the Zellerbach Playhouse in Berkeley, California, with the Paul Dresher Ensemble conducted by Grant Gershon; 2000 - Colin Matthews: "Pluto The Renewer" (as a new contribution to Gustav Holst's "The Planet"), in Manchester, by the Hallé Orchestra, Kent Nagano conducting; 2002 - Kenneth Frazelle: "Concerto for Chamber Orchestra," in Glendale, Calif., by the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Jeffrey Kahane conducting. Links and Resources On Biber On Lloyd Webber's "Cats" More on Andrew Lloyd Webber

In this episode, Jen Stern Granowitz and Erin Beser speak about the Jewish views on death and dying with Rabbi Melanie Levav, founder and director of the Shomer Collective, a new Jewish organization focused on improving end-of-life experiences. Listen for some concrete language on how to talk about death with young children, older learners or even what we as adults need to understand about Jewish views on death and dying. In what turned out to be an uplifting and spiritually fulfilling conversation, Rabbi Levav discusses how this work gives us the opportunity to live lives of greater meaning and connection by recognizing our own mortality. Trigger warnings include talk of death, dying, cancer, the Holocaust, and how to speak about these topics with very young children.   Discussion and Reflection Questions 1. What are your own views on death and dying? 2. What were the conversations that you had about death and dying when you were younger in your family, at school, and in your community? If you could change or reframe those conversations, would you and how? 3. 3. A question from Rabbi Levav (attributed to the poet Mary Oliver): What will you do with your own wild and precious life?   Resources Sesame Street's grief toolkit PJ Library article: "How to Talk About Death and Dying" Tablet's list of kids books about death NPR article: "Be Honest And Concrete: Tips For Talking To Kids About Death" HealthyChildren.org article: "How Children Understand Death & What You Should Say" For more information about services and programs at Park Avenue Synagogue, visit our website at https://pasyn.org.

In this episode, Jennifer Stern Granowitz and Erin Beser speak to Jewish educator and artist Sarah Damelin about the importance of integrating art in Jewish education to teach valuable critical thinking skills of exploration, interpretation, and decision making. Listen to Damelin’s advice on how to engage different types of learners when making art and how to talk to them about their work. Discussion and Reflection Questions 1. How can you incorporate art in a new way during an upcoming lesson? 2. Next time you see a student’s work, what is a new way you could respond? 3. A question from Sarah Damelin: How can you use art experiences in your classroom to push kids to develop their sense of confidence and self-worth in other things that they do?   For more information about services and programs at Park Avenue Synagogue, visit our website at https://pasyn.org. 

Rabbi Cosgrove reflects on the vituperative reaction of Israel’s ultra-Orthodox to last week’s Supreme Court decision regarding conversion and the uncomfortable choice faced by diaspora Jewry. For more information about services and programs at Park Avenue Synagogue, visit our website at https://pasyn.org.

Is it better to make change from the inside or outside? On our annual UJA Shabbat, Rabbi Cosgrove looks to the Megillah for two models of leadership that can guide our choices today. For more information about services and programs at Park Avenue Synagogue, visit our website at https://pasyn.org.

In the face of sin and addictive behavior, how can Torah guide us to realize our best selves? The legacy of Rabbi Dr. Abraham Twerski, z”l, inspires us to take personal agency over our lives. For more information about services and programs at Park Avenue Synagogue, visit our website at https://pasyn.org.

In this episode of How We Talk About, Jen Stern Granowitz and Erin Beser speak with Josh Rosenberg, Cantorial Fellow at Park Avenue Synagogue, about the challenges of praying and learning how to pray. Josh’s background as a classroom music teacher influences his perspective on how to effectively lead and teach a challenging topic. Listen for tips to create a prayer flow, manage transitions, and quiet a room full of rowdy fifth graders like a boss. For more information about services and programs at Park Avenue Synagogue, visit our website at https://pasyn.org.

What lessons does the Exodus offer to our country and to us? Rabbi Cosgrove proposes five principles that can guide us as we seek to emerge from today’s narrow places. For more information about services and programs at Park Avenue Synagogue, visit our website at https://pasyn.org.

Calling the domestic terrorist attack on the Capitol no surprise, Rabbi Cosgrove argues that as with Pharaoh's Egypt, the degradation of our society occurs incrementally and with the complicity of many. Reversing it will require that we take a stand to denounce hatred and injustice. For more information about services and programs at Park Avenue Synagogue, visit our website at https://pasyn.org.

In this episode, Jennifer and Erin speak to Pamela Schwartz, Penn Family Early Childhood Center Director, about using respectful language and empowering children to take leadership and responsibility in the classroom and at home. We asked Pamela why kids call out, opt out, or act out in school (particularly Hebrew school). If you're a parent or a teacher, tune in for specific language to help you stay mindful when kids are . . . well . . . being kids. For more information about services and programs at Park Avenue Synagogue, visit our website at https://pasyn.org.

Rabbi Cosgrove reminds us that since Joseph in Egypt, Jews have found the strength to form imagined community and make spiritual connections even when we are physically separated. We must reach out to others, reminding them and ourselves that we are never alone.For more information about services and programs at Park Avenue Synagogue, visit our website at https://pasyn.org.

In these challenging times, what lessons can we learn from the light and miracles of Chanukah? Rabbi Elliot J. Cosgrove, PhD, Rabbi at Park Avenue Synagogue in Manhattan and Eliana Light, Jewish educator and musician, speak with The Jewish Education Project's CEO David Bryfman about finding and spreading light, and the role Jewish education plays in restoring the spark to our communities.Access the shownotes for this episode and watch the LIVEcast recording here. This episode was recorded on  December 16, 2020. Adapting is produced in partnership with  jewishLIVE. Learn more about  The Jewish Education Project.

Manhattan Congregational and Hebrew School Directors Jennifer Stern Granowitz and Erin Beser co-host this professional development podcast for educators who teach Jewish subjects in Jewish schools. Each episode will explore an educator's most powerful tool, the pedagogy of language, and how the words we use can create new worlds and open spaces in a classroom. Today's pilot episode will explore how we talk about Judaism, unpacking expressions such as "Judaism says that . . ." and "They're more religious" and discussing who's entitled to have a Christmas tree. For more information about services and programs at Park Avenue Synagogue, visit our website at https://pasyn.org.

Do you believe in miracles? As we approach Hanukkah, the holiday of miracles, Rabbi Cosgrove teaches that we need not believe in the supernatural in order to appreciate the miraculous in the mundane.For more information about services and programs at Park Avenue Synagogue, visit our website at https://pasyn.org.

How do Jewish educators create the magic of youth and family services in a digital world? What lessons from the High Holiday season will Jewish educators be applying for the rest of the school year? Rabbi Deborah Bravo of MakomNY and Rabbi Charles Savenor of Park Avenue Synagogue discuss with David Bryfman how they and other Jewish educational leaders are creating engaging Jewish educational experiences during this unique period in Jewish history. Access the shownotes for this episode and watch the LIVEcast recording here. This episode was recorded on  September 30, 2020. Adapting is produced in partnership with  jewishLIVE. Learn more about  The Jewish Education Project.

As Thanksgiving approaches, Rabbi Cosgrove explores the subject of sibling relations by way of the most intense and painful sibling rivalry of the Bible – Jacob and Esau. He urges us to invest in the blessing of siblings and to express gratitude for their presence in our lives.For more information about services and programs at Park Avenue Synagogue, visit our website at https://pasyn.org.

In posing “the Sancho question,” Rabbi Cosgrove considers how the response of our political leaders and our own responses to the recent election bear on the health of our democracy and the strength of our country.For more information about services and programs at Park Avenue Synagogue, visit our website at https://pasyn.org.

Rabbi Cosgrove reminds us that at moments of joy and sorrow, gam zeh ya·avor, this too shall pass. We can find strength and sorrow in the realization that no single moment totally defines us and we should always work for things to be different in the future.For more information about services and programs at Park Avenue Synagogue, visit our website at https://pasyn.org.

Introducing Geshem, the ancient prayer for rain, Rabbi Cosgrove suggests that we pray for abundant rain not to sustain crops, but to wash out the crowded outdoor holiday gatherings that jeopardize public health and cast shame on the Jewish community.For more information about services and programs at Park Avenue Synagogue, visit our website at https://pasyn.org.

Rabbi Cosgrove encourages us to appreciate Yizkor of Shemini Atzeret as a moment to linger with our memories of loved ones and to find guidance for stepping into the new year inspired by their values.For more information about services and programs at Park Avenue Synagogue, visit our website at https://pasyn.org.

Rabbi Cosgrove challenges us to step up to the ideal of Yom Kippur, to commit to acting to mend our world, our community, and our personal relationships. For more information about services and programs at Park Avenue Synagogue, visit our website at https://pasyn.org.

The pandemic has contracted our horizons and cost us innumerable losses, but we can still find hope and meaning in what we do. Rabbi Cosgrove encourages us to find and create beauty and joy even within the smaller scale of our lives.For more information about services and programs at Park Avenue Synagogue, visit our website at https://pasyn.org.

Judaism has survived periods of calamity because visionary leaders have transformed Jewish life to accommodate changed circumstances.For more information about services and programs at Park Avenue Synagogue, visit our website at https://pasyn.org.

Rabbi Cosgrove finds parallels between the life of the incomparable Mets pitcher, Tom Seaver, and the message of the Torah reading: wherever we are today is not where we can be tomorrow. As we approach Rosh Hashanah, let us all act with strength and courage to make tomorrow a better day.For more information about services and programs at Park Avenue Synagogue, visit our website at https://pasyn.org.

Engage your senses – and your soul – as we explore what makes space sacred and how we can create our own sanctuary for prayer and reflection with Ahmane’ Glover. Glover is a spoken-word artist and cultural organizer who has explored the sacred in community with The Kennedy Center, Catalyst for Peace, the Poor People’s Campaign, and more. For more information about services and programs at Park Avenue Synagogue, visit our website at https://pasyn.org.

Rabbi Witkovsky uses Shabbat Nachamu, the Shabbat of Comfort, to discuss the nature of repentance and how it can bring us comfort in a world in desperate need.  For more information about services and programs at Park Avenue Synagogue, visit our website at https://pasyn.org.

Over the course of our history, we’ve gone from the moon landing to shuttering the space program; from the destruction of the Temple to the creation of a new religion. Do we reach for the stars or keep our feet on the ground? Each day brings new possibilities and a new chance to choose our direction.  For more information about services and programs at Park Avenue Synagogue, visit our website at https://pasyn.org.

Transcript“I don't have any plans on returning in the immediate future. I don't want history to record that COVID grew in America because of irresponsible religious groups… I want to make sure that we are good stewards of health and responsibility.” - Dr. Jamal BryantCOVID has closed down many religious spaces, profoundly impacting faith communities. Many rituals have been disrupted, and social distancing guidelines are preventing people from gathering. In today’s episode, we hear from Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove, senior rabbi of Park Avenue Synagogue, and Pastor Jamal Bryant of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church. Together, they’ll be examining a question people of all religions are asking right now: what does it mean to be a member of a faith community during a time of social distancing?Nominations for the 2020 People's Choice Podcast Awards opened on July 1st. To show your support, please go to podcastawards.com and nominate us in the People’s Choice and Health categories.This podcast was created by Just Human Productions. We're powered and distributed by Simplecast. We're supported, in part, by listeners like you.#SARSCoV2 #COVID19 #COVID #coronavirus

As a guest on Rabbi Ed Bernstein’s My Teacher Podcast, Rabbi Cosgrove discusses the life and legacy of Rabbi Louis Jacobs.For more information about services and programs at Park Avenue Synagogue, visit our website at https://pasyn.org.

Zach Banner’s response to DeSean Jackson’s antisemitic screed is not the first time Steel City sports has given Black-Jewish relations a much needed shot in the arm. Recalling the friendship between baseball players Hank Greenberg and Jackie Robinson, Rabbi Cosgrove urges us all to examine our own internalized prejudices in order to reach first base in our struggle to check our biases and eliminate racism.For more information about services and programs at Park Avenue Synagogue, visit our website at https://pasyn.org.

Rabbi Elliot J. Cosgrove, PhD, has served as the Spiritual Leader of Park Avenue Synagogue in New York since 2008.Ordained at the Jewish Theological Seminary in 1999, Rabbi Cosgrove earned his PhD at the University of Chicago Divinity School. His dissertation, Teyku: The Insoluble Contradictions in the Life and Thought of Louis Jacobs examines the life and legacy of one of the leading Anglo-Jewish theologians of the 20th century and reflects his own passion for the intersection of Jewish scholarship and faith.Rabbi Cosgrove is the author of ten collections of selected sermons, In the Beginning (2009), An Everlasting Covenant (2010), Go Forth! (2011), Hineni (2012), A Place to Lodge (2013), Living Waters (2014), Stairway to Heaven (2015), Rise Up! (2016), A Coat of Many Colors (2017), and Provisions for the Way (2018). He is the editor of Jewish Theology in Our Time: A New Generation Explores the Foundations and Future of Jewish Belief, hailed as a provocative and inspiring collection of essays by leading rabbis and scholars.Rabbi Cosgrove is a recognized leader in Conservative Judaism, the broader Jewish community, and the community-at-large. He sits on the Chancellor's Cabinet of JTS and on the Editorial Board of Conservative Judaism. A member of the Executive Committee of the Rabbinical Assembly, he is also an officer of the New York Board of Rabbis and a member of the Board of UJA-Federation of New York. He serves as Rabbinical Advisor on Interfaith Affairs for the ADL and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Rabbi Cosgrove also serves on the Board of Trustees of Hillel at the University of Michigan and on the National Board of Governors of Hillel at the University of Pennsylvania.Rabbi Cosgrove was honored to represent the Jewish community at the National September 11 Memorial Museum during the visit of Pope Francis to New York in September 2015.Rabbi Louis Jacobs was born July 17, 1920.An overview of his illustrious life can be found in Rabbi Louis Jacobs' New York Times Obituary by Ari L. Goldman, July 9, 2006.Another recent overview of his biography and scholarship, that draws on Rabbi Cosgrove's dissertation, is: “Louis Jacobs: We Have Reason to Believe,” by Prof.Marc Zvi Brettler,Prof.Edward Breuer in TheTorah.com.The website louisjacobs.org makes available resources pertaining to the life and work of Rabbi Jacobs including an extensive archive of essays, articles and videos.The clip featured in the podcast is taken from this video retrospective in which Rabbi Jacobs surveys the nearly 50 books he wrote.Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove delivered a lecture on Rabbi Jacobs at Oxford  in 2010. For questions and comments, email Rabbi Ed Bernstein at myteacherpodcast@gmail.com. Follow the My Teacher Podcast on social media: Twitter: @PodcastTeachFacebookInstagram

Rabbi Witkovsky calls on Jews engage in conversations about justice and inequality. We cannot stay on the sidelines of Black Lives Matter, but must work to make our community an anti-racist one. We must stay in the conversation, even when we are uncomfortable with certain aspects of a protest movement.For more information about services and programs at Park Avenue Synagogue, visit our website at https://pasyn.org.

Rabbi Cosgrove reminds us that public speech can change the world and also destroy it. Important as public protest may be, giving feedback privately will often forward our causes better than rash responses in social media.For more information about services and programs at Park Avenue Synagogue, visit our website at https://pasyn.org.

Rabbi Cosgrove shows us how the Bible can provide inspiration, guidance, comfort, and even challenge, as we seek to respond to the systematic racism that infects our country.For more information about services and programs at Park Avenue Synagogue, visit our website at https://pasyn.org. 

At any Yizkor service, mourners are called on to stand together – separated in their grief. This year we are “together apart” more than ever.  Rabbi Cosgrove urges us to follow the examples of Ruth, Naomi, and Boaz, reaching beyond our own pain of loss to help ease the grief of others. For more information about services and programs at Park Avenue Synagogue, visit our website at https://pasyn.org.

In honor of our annual “Seminary Shabbat,” Rabbi Cosgrove tracks the history of the American Jewish experience through the seven chancellors of the Seminary and raises the question of what sits on the docket of the soon to be announced next chancellor. For more information about services and programs at Park Avenue Synagogue, visit our website at https://pasyn.org.

How do we respond to the loss of occasions and opportunities during the pandemic? Rabbi Cosgrove advises us how to acknowledge each other’s sorrow and be present for one another as we gather our strength to step into an uncertain future. For more information about services and programs at Park Avenue Synagogue, visit our website at https://pasyn.org.

Rabbi Cosgrove describes serving as clergy during the past two months and how the COVID-19 pandemic has transformed the way families experience the death of a loved one and the Jewish rituals of burial and mourning. As difficult as our moment may be, there remains holiness – kedushah – before death, in death, and after death. For more information about services and programs at Park Avenue Synagogue, visit our website at https://pasyn.org.

Torah commentator extraordinaire Avivah Zornberg, author of six books, with a Cambridge PhD and a grand rabbinical heritage, finds the human side of our greatest biblical figure. Moses's fundamental sense of himself as “not a man of words” comes to a poignant consummation in the long speeches he makes to the people before he dies. What does it mean to learn to speak?For more information about services and programs at Park Avenue Synagogue, visit our website at https://pasyn.org.

A sermon dedicated in honor of the medical professionals and researchers serving on the front lines of our public health crisis: Rabbi Cosgrove recounts the life and legacy of Dr. Waldemar Haffkine – revolutionary, life-saving epidemiologist, Zionist, and philanthropist.For more information about services and programs at Park Avenue Synagogue, visit our website at https://pasyn.org.

Accept Rabbi Cosgrove’s challenge from his Shabbat Hol Hamoed Pesach sermon: For each of the 49 days between Passover and Shavuot, call or email someone to whom you might not otherwise reach out. Through social solidarity, we can create a caring community and society as we face the wilderness ahead of us.For more information about services and programs at Park Avenue Synagogue, visit our website at https://pasyn.org. 

On the occasion of the seventieth anniversary of Rabbi Milton Steinberg’s passing, Rabbi Cosgrove draws on his predecessor’s writing to address the question of suffering. Rather than asking why there is suffering, we must seek to give our suffering meaning by responding to our tribulations with dignity, patience, benevolence and with care for others.For more information about services and programs at Park Avenue Synagogue, visit our website at https://pasyn.org.

Rabbi Witkovsky has a conversation with Rabbi Cosgrove about the difficulties of the book of Leviticus and the importance of Jewish objects and Jewish ritual.Park Avenue Synagogue seeks to inspire, educate, and support our membership and listeners towards living passion-filled Jewish lives. Through spirited prayer, study, observance and acts of kindness we aspire to foster deep connections with each other, our Torah, our God, the people and State of Israel and our shared humanity. More information available at www.pasyn.org or follow us @parkavesyn or https://www.facebook.com/parkavenuesyn

We all risk decision fatigue as the public health crisis forces us to we make one important choice after another with limited information. In “The Next Right Thing,” Rabbi Cosgrove urges us to take care of ourselves, so that we can make good decisions, and to be compassionate to others, knowing that they face the same demands.Park Avenue Synagogue seeks to inspire, educate, and support our membership and listeners towards living passion-filled Jewish lives. Through spirited prayer, study, observance and acts of kindness we aspire to foster deep connections with each other, our Torah, our God, the people and State of Israel and our shared humanity. More information available at www.pasyn.org or follow us @parkavesyn or https://www.facebook.com/parkavenuesyn

What can Purim teach us in the time of coronavirus? Rabbi Cosgrove presents the story of Esther as a reminder that even when life feels like a lottery, we can all take agency and respond by moving the needle towards good – in our own lives and the lives of those around us.Park Avenue Synagogue seeks to inspire, educate, and support our membership and listeners towards living passion-filled Jewish lives. Through spirited prayer, study, observance and acts of kindness we aspire to foster deep connections with each other, our Torah, our God, the people and State of Israel and our shared humanity. More information available at www.pasyn.org or follow us @parkavesyn or https://www.facebook.com/parkavenuesyn

What can synagogues learn from Blockbuster and Kodak? Using the countercultural havurot of the 1960s as a case study (as well as the building of the mishkan/tabernacle), Rabbi Cosgrove explores models of innovative disruption, inviting us to be open-minded in imagining the future of our community.Park Avenue Synagogue seeks to inspire, educate, and support our membership and listeners towards living passion-filled Jewish lives. Through spirited prayer, study, observance and acts of kindness we aspire to foster deep connections with each other, our Torah, our God, the people and State of Israel and our shared humanity. More information available at www.pasyn.org or follow us @parkavesyn or https://www.facebook.com/parkavenuesyn

In his sermon "Making Sense of Our Moment," Rabbi Cosgrove looks sixty years into the past to find similarities to the present and suggests that the international community's persistent unwillingness to recognize the Jewish people's right to safety and self-determination is today's manifestation of our perennial enemy, Amalek.For more information about services and programs at Park Avenue Synagogue, visit our website at https://pasyn.org.

In his sermon, “Standing at Sinai,” given at Temple Sinai in Los Angeles to honor his father at his “second Bar Mitzvah,” his 83rd birthday, Rabbi Cosgrove enacted the fifth commandment, honoring his father and mother by speaking of the influence their Judaism had on his own Jewish values and choice of career. He charged all parents and all synagogues to take and share responsibility for passing Jewish heritage on to the next generation.Park Avenue Synagogue seeks to inspire, educate, and support our membership and listeners towards living passion-filled Jewish lives. Through spirited prayer, study, observance and acts of kindness we aspire to foster deep connections with each other, our Torah, our God, the people and State of Israel and our shared humanity. More information available at www.pasyn.org or follow us @parkavesyn or https://www.facebook.com/parkavenuesyn

In the September 27, 2019 Seekers of Meaning Podcast, Hazzan Alisa Pomerantz-Boro, cantor at Congregation Beth El, Voorhees, NJ, discusses the spiritual and prayer value of music in Jewish life with host Rabbi Richard Address. About the Guest Hazzan Alisa Pomerantz-Boro grew up on Mercer Island, Washington, in a rabbinic home, instilled with a love of Judaism and music. From an early age, she knew she would continue the long family line of rabbis and cantors. Hazzan Alisa Pomerantz-Boro holds a BA in Near Eastern Studies and Music from the University of Washington and a degree in sacred Jewish music from the Cantors Institute of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America. At her investiture as a Hazzan, she was awarded the Jacobson Memorial Prize in Hazzanut. As a cantorial student, Hazzan Pomerantz-Boro held the position of Assistant Cantor at New York’s prestigious Park Avenue Synagogue. Upon investiture, she served as the Hazzan at Tifereth Israel Synagogue in San Diego for 13 years. She came to Congregation Beth El in 2004. Hazzan Pomerantz-Boro was among the first 12 women to be inducted into the Cantors Assembly, the professional organization of Conservative cantors, where she currently serves as the International President. Hazzan Pomerantz-Boro lives in Voorhees with her [...] The post SOM Pod 09/27/2019: The Spiritual Value of Music, with Hazzan Alisa Pomerantz-Boro, Cantor at Congregation Beth El, Voorhees, NJ appeared first on Jewish Sacred Aging.

In the September 27, 2019 Seekers of Meaning Podcast, Hazzan Alisa Pomerantz-Boro, cantor at Congregation Beth El, Voorhees, NJ, discusses the spiritual and prayer value of music in Jewish life with host Rabbi Richard Address. About the Guest Hazzan Alisa Pomerantz-Boro grew up on Mercer Island, Washington, in a rabbinic home, instilled with a love of Judaism and music. From an early age, she knew she would continue the long family line of rabbis and cantors. Hazzan Alisa Pomerantz-Boro holds a BA in Near Eastern Studies and Music from the University of Washington and a degree in sacred Jewish music from the Cantors Institute of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America. At her investiture as a Hazzan, she was awarded the Jacobson Memorial Prize in Hazzanut. As a cantorial student, Hazzan Pomerantz-Boro held the position of Assistant Cantor at New York’s prestigious Park Avenue Synagogue. Upon investiture, she served as the Hazzan at Tifereth Israel Synagogue in San Diego for 13 years. She came to Congregation Beth El in 2004. Hazzan Pomerantz-Boro was among the first 12 women to be inducted into the Cantors Assembly, the professional organization of Conservative cantors, where she currently serves as the International President. Hazzan Pomerantz-Boro lives in Voorhees with her [...] The post SOM Pod 09/27/2019: The Spiritual Value of Music, with Hazzan Alisa Pomerantz-Boro, Cantor at Congregation Beth El, Voorhees, NJ appeared first on Jewish Sacred Aging.

Special guest, Rabbi Ethan Witkovsky from Park Avenue Synagogue, joins us for a journey through Religion and Game of Thrones. Ben and Ethan take a deep dive and geek out over this fantastic topic, while Matt runs tech and closes his ears to spoilers. By the way, there aren't any major spoilers in case you're worried about that. 

In this episode of Houghton75, we speak with Eric Nelson, Robert M. Beren Professor of Government at Harvard, to discuss the surprising impact of John Milton and a set of once forgotten rabbinical texts on the formation of the government of the United States. The story starts with Wilhelm Schickard, a Christian Hebraist, monarchist, and the most important early modern political theorist you’ve never heard of, who in the early 17th century set out to compile all rabbinic references to monarchy. Schickard’s book is in our current exhibition, where it can be viewed through April 22, 2017. Find out more about the exhibition and Houghton Library’s 75th anniversary celebrations at http://houghton75.org/hist-75h Transcript and detailed music notes: http://wp.me/p7SlKy-ns Music The Boston Camerata. Anne Azéma, artistic director http://www.bostoncamerata.org/ Recording from Rosh Hashanah at the Park Avenue Synagogue, New York City Cantor Azi Schwartz, voice Colin Fowler and the PAS choir, music Doug Yoel, recording

Y’varekh’kha Adonai v’yishm’rekha. Ya’eir Adonai panav eilekha vihuneka. Yisa Adonai panav eilekha v’yaseim l’kha shalom. May Adonai bless and protect you. May Adonai’s countenance shine upon you and be gracious to you. May Adonai’s countenance be lifted toward you, and grant you peace. Eliana Light, arr. Eldor Eliana Light (1990–) Eliana Light is the Director of Music Education at Park Avenue Synagogue. She has two albums of original Jewish music, A New Light and Eliana Sings (About Jewish Things!). Her songs have been featured on PJ Library compliations and are used by educators, song-leaders, and clergy all over the country. Eliana has performed and taught throughout the US, including at the Union for Reform Judaism Biennial, the NewCAJE Jewish Education Conference, Limmud New York, and the DeLeT Masters Program. She is the author of Hebrew in Harmony, a curriculum published by Behrman House that teaches prayer and Hebrew through music. Eliana received her Masters in Jewish Experiential Education from JTS in 2016.