Sermons

What did the late Rabbi Harold Kushner mean when he said, “We’re more complete if we’re incomplete”? Rabbi Cosgrove explores how we may understand loss and imperfections in our lives. 

Are you a good guest? Rabbi Cosgrove reminds us that being a good guest is not only about how we behave at our friends’ homes, but also how we move through the world, recognizing that we are passing through and that we owe courtesy to others and care to the earth.

What’s in a blessing? Reflecting on his own Friday night childhood blessings and the imminent high school graduation of his youngest son, Rabbi Cosgrove teaches us the value of every moment and every person.

In contrast to the first three books of the Bible, the book of B’midbar recounts the failures of the Israelites and their leaders.

Our country and our community are seeing an unprecedented mental health crisis among our youth. Rabbi Cosgrove counsels that every one of us has a role in making the young people in our lives feel seen and helping them find their way to mental stability.

What does it mean to love your neighbor as yourself? Exploring the central verse of the Torah, Rabbi Cosgrove shares an unexpected interpretation that teaches us how to repair relationships and make ourselves whole.

How should we respond to a non-Zionist Gen Z-er? Responding to a young person’s rejection of Zionism, Rabbi Cosgrove engages with the question in all its complexity. 

Baseball games and the Passover seder are both harbingers of spring. Rabbi Cosgrove explores what else these two rites have in common and what we can learn from cherishing them both. 

The Haggadah gives us the opportunity to overlay our own stories onto the shared template of our people’s foundational narrative. Rabbi Cosgrove urges us to open our seders to challenging questions and to accept conflicting answers, understanding that there can be unity with diversity. 

Purim is not simply playful, and the megillah is not all merry. Rabbi Cosgrove uncovers the dark side of the tale of Esther and how the story has been turned around to justify violent acts. At this fraught time, we pray for a peaceful Purim.