Park Avenue Podcasts

In a tribute to poet and literary critic Harold Bloom, who passed away last month, Rabbi Cosgrove demonstrates how Bloom's theory of "the anxiety of influence" applies to the narratives of the book of Genesis and to our own lives. For more information about services and programs at Park Avenue Synagogue, visit our website at https://pasyn.org. Audio:  11.2.19_sermon.mp3

 A year after the shooting at the Pittsburgh Tree of Life synagogue, Rabbi Cosgrove assesses the impact of the attack and counsels how we must respond to antisemitism in our world while continuing to have faith in humanity and in our Jewish tradition in his sermon “#OneYearLater.” For more information about services and programs at Park Avenue Synagogue, visit our website at https://pasyn.org. Audio:  10.25_sermon.mp3

 In Rabbi Cosgrove’s sermon, “Jonah’s Sukkah,” he suggests what we can learn from the close proximity of the festival of Sukkot to Yom Kippur about how to live in the new year. For more information about services and programs at Park Avenue Synagogue, visit our website at https://pasyn.org. Audio:  10.19.19_sermon.mp3

 In preparation for Yizkor, Rabbi Cosgrove reflects on how memories of those who are no longer with us can bring sorrow but also comfort, and sometimes even joy. For more information about services and programs at Park Avenue Synagogue, visit our website at https://pasyn.org. Audio:  yk_sermon.mp3

 Addressing the congregation on Yom Kippur, Rabbi Cosgrove reflects on the importance of doing mitzvot as an essential expression of identifying as a Jew. For more information about services and programs at Park Avenue Synagogue, visit our website at https://pasyn.org. Audio:  kn_sermon.mp3

 On the first day of Rosh Hashanah, Rabbi Cosgrove discusses the dilemma that each Jew must face: How does one balance what is good for the Jewish people with what is good for humanity as a whole when such needs sometimes seem contradictory. For more information about services and programs at Park Avenue Synagogue, visit our website at https://pasyn.org. Audio:  rh_day_i.mp3

 Rabbi Cosgrove begins the High Holidays with a lesson on teshuvah – what it truly means to repent and how to effectively reflect on last year’s deeds. For more information about services and programs at Park Avenue Synagogue, visit our website at https://pasyn.org. Audio:  erev_rh_sermon.mp3

On the Shabbat before Rosh Hashanah, Rabbi Cosgrove discusses the 1919 “Black Sox" scandal and its implications for morality and forgiveness in his sermon "Say It Ain't So, Joe.” For more information about services and programs at Park Avenue Synagogue, visit our website at https://pasyn.org. Audio:  ec_sermon_9.28.19.mp3

After a summer of difficult news from both home and abroad, Rabbi Cosgrove explains how the role of the prophets described in Parashat Shoftim teaches us the importance of protesting injustice and voicing dissent in his sermon "Something to Say." For more information about services and programs at Park Avenue Synagogue, visit our website at https://pasyn.org. Audio:  ec_sermon_9.7.19.mp3

 In a 1972 sermon marking the conclusion of the Apollo moon missions, Rabbi Judah Nadich reflected on miracles, on mankind’s remarkable achievements in space, and on how our having reached the moon affects our belief in God. "If a series of flights to the moon should have any effect upon our conception of man, it should be to strengthen our faith in man’s potentialities." On the 50th anniversary of the Apollo XI moon landing, humankind's remarkable accomplishments continue to resonate, as does the importance of our ability to solve problems on planet Earth. Audio:  rabbi_judah_nadich_-_the_last_journey_-_the_first_lessons_-_december_23_1972.mp3 read more

 On the first day of Shavuot, Rabbi Cosgrove discusses the relationship of Jewish culture to the world in which it develops in his sermon, "OY." For more information about services and programs at Park Avenue Synagogue, visit our website at https://pasyn.org. Audio:  ec_sermon_6.8.19_take_ii.mp3

 Rabbi Cosgrove uses examples from the story of Samson to show the dangers of a child remaining tethered to their parents and the importance of allowing a child to step into the world on their own. For more information about services and programs at Park Avenue Synagogue, visit our website at https://pasyn.org. Audio:  ec_sermon_6.15.19.mp3

 Rabbi Witkovsky juxtaposes Mt. Sinai and the beit midrash to explore how best to memorialize those we love with both grand actions as well as small. For more information about services and programs at Park Avenue Synagogue, visit our website at https://pasyn.org Audio:  ew_sermon_6.10.19.mp3

 Rabbi Cosgrove argues that the values and liberties that we cherish can never be taken for granted and must always be fought for lest they be taken away. For more information about services and programs at Park Avenue Synagogue, visit our website at https://pasyn.org. Audio:  ec_sermon_6.1.19.mp3

Rabbi Cosgrove suggests that when American Jews discuss Israel, on a deeper level we are talking about – or should be talking about – something closer to home. For more information about services and programs at Park Avenue Synagogue, visit our website at https://pasyn.org. Audio:  ec_sermon_5.18.19.mp3

 Rabbi Cosgrove reminisces on his first 20 years as a rabbi and discusses how changes in American Judaism and in the world at large have affected what it means to be a congregational rabbi in the 21st century. For more information about services and programs at Park Avenue Synagogue, visit our website at https://pasyn.org. Audio:  ec_sermon_5.11.19.mp3

 Before Yizkor on the eighth day of Passover, Rabbi Cosgrove describes how over the course of the holiday, we move from celebrating the redemption from Egypt to praying for and anticipating future redemption and explains that remembering our loved ones is one way that we help to bring about the coming of the Messiah and ultimate redemption. For more information about services and programs at Park Avenue Synagogue, visit our website at https://pasyn.org. Audio:  ec_sermon_4.27.19.mp3

Putti Village, Uganda, has a population of about 1,500 people, with approximately equal numbers of villagers practicing Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, all living in harmony. The Abuyudaya (Jews) of Putti are an orthodox Sephardi community, the only such community in Uganda. PAS Ensemble Member Mike Cohen recorded a CD in Putti that fused East African, Arab, and Jewish music sung in Hebrew, Ladino, Lugandan, and English. He shares some of these transformative recordings and tells the tale of making the CD under singularly challenging conditions. Audio:  music_salon_-_when_i_wake_up_the_music_of_the_abuyudaya_jews_of_uganda.mp3 read more

To claim that Zionism marked a radical break with Jewish history and messianic notions of redemption begs the question: what was Jewish about the movement, other than the demographic and political goal of creating a state and society for Jews? What would be Jewish about the content of the project, not just the frame? Virtually everyone involved in Zionist thought—left and right, religious and secular—held views on this subject. Audio:  zionism_class_4.mp3 read more

On the occasion of the 200th birthday of Rabbi Isaac Mayer Wise, Rabbi Cosgrove describes how Rabbi Wise’s theology and his beliefs about the nature of Judaism in America underpin how we regard ourselves as contemporary American Jews, as well as our relationship with Israel and the challenges world Jewry faces today. For more information about services and programs at Park Avenue Synagogue, visit our website at https://pasyn.org. Audio:  ec_sermon_4.6.19.mp3