What does the future of rabbinic leadership look like—and why does it matter for all of us?

In this episode of Common Faith, Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove and journalist Jon Frankel take on a question hiding in plain sight: Are we cultivating enough rabbis to meet the spiritual, communal, and moral needs of the Jewish future? Joined by Rabbi Shira Koch Epstein, Executive Director of ATRA: The Center for Rabbinic Innovation, the conversation moves from personal calling to systemic challenge.

Drawing on ATRA’s landmark national study, Rabbi Epstein shares eye-opening data about the rabbinic pipeline—who is becoming a rabbi, who isn’t, and why. Together, they explore the realities of rabbinic life today: meaningful work, burnout, blurred boundaries, financial barriers, and the changing ways people seek connection, guidance, and faith.

Along the way, the episode weaves together humor, heart, and hard truths—asking what it means to serve, to lead, and to pass sacred tradition from one generation to the next in a rapidly changing world. In a time when so many are searching for meaning, this conversation reminds us why spiritual leadership still matters—and what it will take to sustain it.

v ATRA
https://atrarabbis.org/

https://www.instagram.com/atrarabbis

https://www.facebook.com/atrarabbis/?_rdr

Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove:

https://www.instagram.com/elliot_cosgrove

https://x.com/RabbiCosgrove

Park Avenue Synagogue
https://www.pasyn.org

https://www.instagram.com/parkavenuesyn/#

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This week on Common Faith, Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove and Emmy Award–winning journalist Jon Frankel unwrap the deeper meaning of Hanukkah—beyond latkes, dreidels, and eight nights of gifts. Joining them is renowned writer and public intellectual Yossi Klein Halevi, whose personal journey from Brooklyn to Jerusalem illuminates the holiday’s layered history and its evolving place in Jewish identity.

Together, they explore the many versions of the Hanukkah story: the miracle of the oil, the military victory of the Maccabees, the struggle against assimilation, and the celebration of reclaimed Jewish sovereignty. Yossi reflects on growing up as the son of Holocaust survivors, his early attraction to Jewish extremism, and the decades-long transformation that led him toward a more expansive, nuanced understanding of Judaism, Israel, and power.

From public menorahs in Israeli town squares to quiet candle-lighting in American homes, the conversation traces how Hanukkah is celebrated across cultures—and how October 7th has reshaped Jewish vulnerability, resilience, and collective memory worldwide. With candor, humor, and heart, Elliot, Jon, and Yossi hold space for the tensions, debates, and hopes pulsing through Jewish life today.

A moving and timely episode that reminds us: Hanukkah isn’t just a holiday—it’s a lens on identity, history, and the stories we choose to pass on.

Yossi Klein Halevi
https://www.yossikleinhalevi.com/

https://www.facebook.com/YossiKleinHalevi/

https://x.com/YKleinHalevi

Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove:

https://www.instagram.com/elliot_cosgrove

https://x.com/RabbiCosgrove

Park Avenue Synagogue
https://www.pasyn.org

https://www.instagram.com/parkavenuesyn/#

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In this deeply human and unexpectedly joyful episode of Common Faith, Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove and journalist Jon Frankel sit down with celebrated artist Joel Mesler, whose vibrant, pop-infused works have become synonymous with healing, humor, and Jewish identity. Through Mesler’s remarkable life story — from a turbulent childhood in Beverly Hills to an intense yeshiva experience, to addiction, recovery, and artistic rebirth — the trio explores what it means to wrestle with your past while still choosing light.

Mesler speaks candidly about nine years of sobriety, the lies we tell ourselves in our own voice, and the moment he realized he needed help. He shares how art became both expression and salvation, and how Judaism organically re-entered his life through painting anonymous old “rabbi portraits” that no one wanted — until he transformed them into sought-after pieces of contemporary Judaica.

An inspiring conversation about creativity, faith, identity, recovery, and choosing light in a world that doesn’t always make it easy.

Joel Mesler
https://www.joelmesler.com

https://www.instagram.com/joelmesler/?hl=en

Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove:

https://www.instagram.com/elliot_cosgrove

https://x.com/RabbiCosgrove

Park Avenue Synagogue
https://www.pasyn.org

https://www.instagram.com/parkavenuesyn/#

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It’s the season of gratitude — and good food. Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove and Emmy Award–winning journalist Jon Frankel welcome legendary creator and host Phil Rosenthal (Everybody Loves Raymond, Somebody Feed Phil) for a conversation that blends faith, food, and funny family traditions.

Rosenthal shares how his Jewish upbringing shaped his love of storytelling, how he reinvented himself from sitcom writer to world-traveling food host, and why laughter — like a good meal — brings people together. From goose instead of turkey to matzo-ball soup and carrot kugel, this episode celebrates how recipes carry identity and connection across generations.

Together, Elliot, Jon, and Phil explore what Thanksgiving teaches us about gratitude, reinvention, and finding humor — even when the turkey’s dry.

Phil Rosenthal
https://philrosenthalworld.com/

Everybody Loves Raymond
https://www.cbs.com/shows/everybody-loves-raymond/

Somebody Feed Phil
https://www.netflix.com/title/80151255

Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove:

https://www.instagram.com/elliot_cosgrove

https://x.com/RabbiCosgrove

Park Avenue Synagogue
https://www.pasyn.org

https://www.instagram.com/parkavenuesyn/#

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In this powerful episode of Common Faith, Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove and Emmy Award–winning journalist Jon Frankel welcome Rabbi Michael Siegel of Anshe Emet Synagogue and Pastor Chris Harris of Bright Star Church and St. James Ministries in Chicago — two spiritual leaders who turned an unlikely friendship into a national model for faith-based partnership and healing.

Together, they trace the story of how a single lunch meeting 14 years ago blossomed into a thriving alliance between the Black and Jewish communities — one that has built playgrounds, inspired hundreds of interfaith exchanges, and even created a trauma counseling program modeled after Israel’s NATAL center.

The conversation ranges from mentorship and faith to violence, healing, and the sacred responsibility of leadership. Pastor Harris shares how visiting Israel reshaped his ministry on Chicago’s South Side, while Rabbi Siegel reflects on the power of humility, courage, and the simple idea that 'before you can help someone else’s trauma, you must face your own.'

It’s a moving portrait of faith in action — proof that when spiritual leaders listen, learn, and labor together, real change follows.

Pastor Chris Harris

https://www.instagram.com/pastorharris/?hl=en

https://www.facebook.com/Pastor.Chris.Harris.Sr/
https://www.brightstarchurchchicago.com/

https://www.stjamesministrieschicago.com/pastorchrisharris

Rabbi Michael Siegel
https://www.ansheemet.org/welcome/clergy/rabbi-michael-siegel/

American Friends of Natal
https://www.afnatal.org/

Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove:

https://www.instagram.com/elliot_cosgrove

https://x.com/RabbiCosgrove

Park Avenue Synagogue
https://www.pasyn.org

https://www.instagram.com/parkavenuesyn/#

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Is football America’s true religion? Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove and Emmy Award–winning journalist Jon Frankel sit down with ESPN’s Adam Schefter—who they dub as the “Pope” of NFL information—to explore the game’s unmatched hold on American life. From the gridiron to the pulpit, they discuss how football has eclipsed baseball as the nation’s pastime, what it says about our shared culture, and how faith, fandom, and identity intertwine every Sunday.

Schefter reflects on his unlikely rise from a rejected Michigan freshman to one of sports media’s most trusted voices, and opens up about his deeply personal book *The Man I Never Met*, honoring his wife’s late husband who perished on 9/11.

The conversation moves from locker rooms to life lessons—touching on ethics in sports, personal faith, and the ways football mirrors both our values and our vices. The episode closes with a visit from former Michigan defensive back Jeff Cohen, who revisits his now-legendary decision to play on Yom Kippur under Bo Schembechler, proving once again that faith and football often share the same field.

Adam Schefter

https://x.com/AdamSchefter?lang=en

https://www.instagram.com/adamschefter/?hl=en

ESPN football:

https://www.espn.com/nfl/

Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove:

https://www.instagram.com/elliot_cosgrove

https://x.com/RabbiCosgrove

Park Avenue Synagogue
https://www.pasyn.org

https://www.instagram.com/parkavenuesyn/#

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What does it mean to reclaim Jewish identity in a world that often misunderstands or maligns it? In this episode of Common Faith, Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove and journalist Jon Frankel welcome author Sarah Hurwitz, former speechwriter for Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton, to discuss her new book As a Jew: Reclaiming Our Story from Those Who Blame, Shame, and Try to Erase Us.

Hurwitz shares her transformation from a self-described “cultural Jew” to a deeply engaged student of Jewish thought and tradition. Together, they explore how antisemitism has shaped Jewish self-perception, what it means to live as a proud Jew in modern times, and why genuine learning and connection—not apology or erasure—are the path forward.

With honesty, humor, and heart, this conversation unpacks the struggle between assimilation and authenticity, the intersection of faith and identity, and how study itself can be a profound act of spirituality.

Sarah Hurwitz

https://www.sarahhurwitz.net/

Park Avenue Synagogue
https://www.pasyn.org

https://www.instagram.com/parkavenuesyn/#

Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove:

https://www.instagram.com/elliot_cosgrove

https://x.com/RabbiCosgrove

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On Common Faith, Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove and Emmy Award–winning journalist Jon Frankel explore what it means to live as a proud Jew in today’s divided world. This episode features Rabbi Cosgrove’s powerful Rosh Hashanah sermon about Jonas Phillips—the Revolutionary War–era patriot who proved that Jewish identity and American ideals could thrive side by side.

Through Phillips’ story, the rabbi reflects on the freedoms and responsibilities of American Jews today, confronting the rising challenges of antisemitism, polarization, and self-censorship. Together, he and John discuss how to balance faith, freedom, and identity—and why two things can be true at once: that we can love both America and Israel, debate passionately and still stay united, and express faith proudly while embracing diversity of thought.

It’s a conversation about courage, conscience, and the ongoing American Jewish experiment—and a call to live out faith in both the private and public square.

Park Avenue Synagogue
https://www.pasyn.org

https://www.instagram.com/parkavenuesyn/#

Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove:

https://www.instagram.com/elliot_cosgrove

https://x.com/RabbiCosgrove

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