Rabbi Cosgrove’s Vatican Visit
This week Rabbi Cosgrove had the honor of participating in a meeting of the Abrahamic Faiths Initiative.
The PAS Shabbaton two weeks ago – Taking the Pulse of the American Jewish Community: Zionism, Justice and Freedom – was extremely relevant to current events. Guest Speaker Jeffrey Rosen, CEO of the National Constitution Center, added his non-partisan insight into his American hero Louis Brandeis and identified the personal crisis that each Jew faces in deciding where to put their allegiance. Deborah Lauter, Vice President of the ADL, shared the personal journey that led her to working at the ADL and also described ADL’s role in defining our first amendment right in regard to free speech vs. hate speech. In a culminating conversation, both Rosen and Lauter reflected on the uncertainties of the future for both America and Israel. Guest artist Neshama Carlebach’s stories and music brought spirituality to the weekend. In addition to communal meals, services, and words from our guests, the Shabbaton included a Tot-Shabbaton Service which Neshama participated in, a teen conversation with Jeffrey Rosen, and a pre-Shabbat program with Neshama.
Thank you to Shabbaton Co-chairs Erica Friedman and Sam Lehr, Teen Co-chairs Edward Friedman and Jordyn Waye, and to all the clergy, staff and lay leaders involved in the planning and execution of a memorable weekend.
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You can download the National Constitution Center’s Interactive Constitution app which Jeffrey Rosen mentioned throughout the weekend, here (for Apple) or here (for Google Play).