What makes for successful parenting? Rabbi Cosgrove teaches that unlike the example set by our biblical ancestors, parents can love children equally and infinitely, but differently.
October 16, 2021
Rebel Without a Cause
Occasion(s) / Lekh L’kha
How do you show that you are a Jew? Rabbi Cosgrove reminds us that we are heirs to Abraham, the iconoclast founder of our people. We must be true to that heritage and proudly assert our Jewish identity.
October 02, 2021
Purple Rain
Occasion(s) / B’reishit
What is the theme of our people’s story? As we open the Torah to read once again about the beginning of humanity, Rabbi Cosgrove teaches that our history is a story of persistence in response to setbacks. Faith in the future and in ourselves is as essential today as ever.
September 28, 2021
Why Do We Say Kaddish?
Occasion(s) / Shemini Atzeret, Yizkor
For whom do we recite Kaddish? Rabbi Cosgrove introduces and explains a variety of answers from through the ages and concludes that beyond all, when we say Kaddish, we form a link in the chain linking one generation to the next.
September 18, 2021
After the Fast
Occasion(s) / Ha·azinu
Where do we go from Yom Kippur? Rabbi Cosgrove reminds us that resetting our moral compass is not a “one-and-done” task, but a lifelong challenge that we meet by a day-after-day commitment toward becoming our aspirational selves.
September 10, 2021
Remember . . . For Life
Occasion(s) / Yom Kippur
How should we remember the Holocaust? As we witness the passing of the last survivors, Rabbi Cosgrove urges that we must remember . . . for life.
September 07, 2021
The Blink of an Eye
Occasion(s) / Rosh Hashanah
Given that our lives can be upended in an instant, Rabbi Cosgrove exhorts us to make every day count, taking on personal agency through teshuvah/repentance, tefillah/spiritual living, and tzedakah/righteous giving.
September 06, 2021
Apples and Honey on Rosh Hashanah
Occasion(s) / Erev Rosh Hashanah
What does eating apples and honey on Rosh Hashanah mean to you? Rabbi Cosgrove suggests several possible explanations to consider and discuss over the holidays.
June 19, 2021
From Pandemic to Purpose
Occasion(s) / Hukkat
Are there any lessons that we should take with us when, please God, the pandemic is but a memory? Rabbi Cosgrove challenges us to appreciate our blessings, to pay attention to the problems that the pandemic has exposed, and to move forward with intention to live meaningful lives.
June 05, 2021
Fault Lines
Occasion(s) / Sh’lah L’kha
Returning from a rabbinic mission to Israel following the recent violence between Israelis and Palestinians, Rabbi Cosgrove delivers a mixed report of gloomy realities tempered by reasons for hope.