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.
As we enter the month of Elul and approach the High Holidays, we must uncover what each one of us is chosen for, so we can choose to be chosen. Rabbi Zauzmer explores what it means to be the chosen people.
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.
What can the Torah teach us about facing the horrors and hatred we see in Buffalo and the world around us? Rabbi Witkovsky explores the injunction in Leviticus, “Do not wrong one another,” and implores us to stand up against hate wherever it is found.
What defines a life of k’dushah, of holiness? Responding to that ages-old question, Rabbi Cosgrove finds that a life of holiness includes both observance of ritual detail and commitment to ethical behavior, pride in the distinctions that set Jews apart and responsibility to all humanity.
How shall we remember the Holocaust? Rabbi Cosgrove teaches us both the pitfalls of remembrance and that memory should inspire us to live meaningful Jewish lives and to respond compassionately to present-day suffering of others.
The Passover seder asks us to not only think of the lives of our ancestors in Egypt, but to see ourselves “as if” we were there. So too when we recall the loved ones we have lost: We can think of them and their lives, reflecting on what they taught us and left for us. Rabbi Witkovsky introduces Y...
How do we show our loyalty to the Jewish state? Rabbi Cosgrove explores the reasons to sign or not to sign a recent rabbinic letter regarding the question of funding right-wing Israeli organizations.
The future of the Jewish community is threatened by a shortage of clergy, with not enough people choosing to become rabbis and too few rabbis choosing to serve congregations. We all have a role in addressing this pipeline problem.
The story of Esther hangs on the question of whether to reveal one’s identity in public no matter the consequences. In light of current events, Rabbi Cosgrove urges us to stand up for our values and to commemorate Purim with heroic generosity to aid the Jews, and all the people, of Ukraine.
The forests of Ukraine birthed one of the greatest spiritual revolutions in Jewish history. What can they teach us about ourselves and how we respond to this moment of crisis and others?
Rejecting the assertions of the recent Amnesty International report on Israel and Palestine, Rabbi Cosgrove envisions the kind of report that could bring the sides closer, not further apart.
When do we peak in our life work? Reflecting on the life of Martin Luther King, Rabbi Cosgrove suggests we are all ever at the shores of the sea taking a stride toward opening the next vital chapter of our lives.
As the Israelites prepare for their journey into the wilderness, God’s first commandment to Moses and Aaron will both surprise and inspire you.
While the story of Joseph is a central narrative, Rabbi Zuckerman makes the case for the importance of Judah, a central character in the story. Plus, learn why we descend from the tribe of Judah.
Why didn’t Joseph write home to his father? Rabbi Cosgrove reviews the possible answers, suggesting that when we are open to hearing the perspectives of others, we can pass blessings from one generation to the next.
Why are we more confident that a child born to an intermarried Jewish woman will identify Jewishly more readily than the child of an intermarried Jewish man? Drawing on the Biblical story of Dinah, Rabbi Cosgrove opens a conversation on the dynamics of gender, intermarriage, and Jewish identity.
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.
Thousands of years ago, Abraham carefully negotiated his involvement in his hosts’ society and his fidelity to his own traditions when he uttered the phrase, “I am a stranger and a citizen together with you.” This verse has inspired Jews throughout the generations, from Abraham through the early ...
We all love the story of two enemies who become friends, but how can we make it happen? Rabbi Witkovsky uses one of the more obscure relationships in Parashat Va-yera to discuss the importance of giving and receiving criticism in transforming our relationships.
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.
Life is meaningful when it is shared with others, when we are in relationship with others. Just as God told Noah, “get out of the ark,” it is time to venture outside, and it is time to remind others that when they are ready, it is safe to do so.
