Podcasts

The Soviet author Vasily Grossman imagined a final letter from his mother before her death in the Berdichev Ghetto; he also continued writing to her after her death. Rabbi Cosgrove invites us to imagine the letters our loved ones might have written to us and what we would write ourselves.

Enjoy this most recent sermon from Rabbi Zuckerman, which he shared live before PAS this past Shabbat.

Drawing parallels between Moses and successful modern leaders, Rabbi Cosgrove finds that Moses exemplifies all the qualities of a great leader, especially the ultimate measure of success: that one’s values endure far beyond one’s own lifetime.

While we hope for long life, we fear the inevitable losses of old age; most of all, we fear becoming irrelevant. Rabbi Cosgrove charges us with revering our elders, not only by caring for their physical and social needs, but above all, by maintaining their values in our own lives.

The moment of Yizkor makes us aware of the finite and indefinite length of our lives. Rabbi Cosgrove encourages us not only to remember our debts to those who have gone before but also to recognize our responsibility to those who will follow us and will, in time, remember us.

On the closing weekend of the hit Broadway musical Come From Away, Rabbi Zauzmer discusses lessons we can learn from the true story about what it means to gather by necessity and to gather by choice.

In an imagined conversation with the founding father of Zionism, Rabbi Cosgrove assesses the accomplishments, the aspirations, and the complexities of the Jewish state and provides a charge for us all to create strong Jewish identities.

Rabbi Zauzmer explores the meaning of honey on Rosh Hashanah and throughout the year.

What stories do we tell ourselves? What elements do we choose to include – or exclude? In this service from Selichot, Rabbi Cosgrove explores the role we play in constructing our narratives, our history, and ultimately, our truth.

Rabbi Cosgrove suggests that while the Torah lists detailed rules for returning lost property, the deeper meaning of this concern may be about repairing lost relationships and restoring our souls.

Graduation season reminds us that time moves forward inexorably. Rabbi Cosgrove teaches that even though it is human nature to resist change, we live best when we move forward with openness to becoming our best selves in whatever circumstances the future brings.

The story of Ruth, read on Shavuot, demonstrates the value of putting others’ needs above our own. Rabbi Cosgrove reminds us that our Jewish tradition teaches that we are not free to do whatever we please, but that living in society requires us to accept limits on our freedom.