Sermons

Is there any getting over grief? Rabbi Cosgrove suggests that just as the Israelites carried the shards of the broken tablets of the covenant, so too, we carry our losses and yet, move forward.

What is Double V? Recalling the campaign during WWII for victory against fascism on the battlefield and victory against racism on the homefront, Rabbi Cosgrove calls for a Double V campaign for Israel, for victory against Hamas and for the democratic values that are intrinsic to the state.

What is your response to the anti-Israel protests on college campuses?

How does a connection to the land of Israel play out in your life? In sharing his own personal experience, Rabbi Cosgrove reminds us how the dream and the reality of a sovereign Jewish state in the land of Israel has sustained the Jewish people.

Six months after October 7, are you expecting seder guests with conflicted and conflicting views?

Can we talk? After a recent experience on campus, Rabbi Cosgrove regrets that honest dialogue between people of differing views is prevented by antagonists who would rather play “gotcha” than take part in challenging and vulnerable conversation. 

Is the story of Esther just a comedic fantasy or is it a parable for our own times? Rabbi Cosgrove finds a lesson in the Megillah for how we can understand our place in society and our responsibility to live joyfully as proud, committed Jews.

Although Israel remains traumatized by the terror of October 7, the hostages, and the ongoing war, there is talk of “the day after.” Rabbi Cosgrove examines the arguments for and against  a two-state solution and offers his vision for a hopeful path forward.

As the Gaza war continues, how do you respond to people whose views on what should happen next in the conflict differ from your own? Rabbi Cosgrove counsels that it is essential to assume positive intent on the part of others and to ask thought-provoking questions to promote understanding. 

What would MLK say? We cannot know, but based on his writings, Rabbi Cosgrove projects what MLK might say about October 7, about the Israel-Hamas conflict, about Black-Jewish relations, and more.