Common Faith

For nearly a century, the Maccabi Games have brought Jewish athletes from around the world together to compete, connect, and celebrate their shared heritage. Often called the "Jewish Olympics," the Games are about far more than winning medals—they're about building community, strengthening Jewish identity, and creating lasting bonds with Israel. This week on Common Faith , Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove an...

America's 250th birthday offers a chance to reflect on the ideals that shaped the nation—and the role Jews have played in its story from the very beginning. In this special Independence Day episode, Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove and Jon Frankel discuss the significance of America's founding for Jewish communities seeking freedom, equality, and opportunity. From Jonas Phillips and the Declaration of Indepe...

What do we owe ourselves when it comes to preventative healthcare? And how much do we really want to know about our future health risks? This week on Common Faith , Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove and Jon Frankel welcome Dr. Elisa Port , Chief of Breast Surgery for the Mount Sinai Health System and author of The Breast Advice: All You Need to Know About Breast Health, Screening, and Treatment . The conversa...

What can a bowl of chicken soup, a family challah recipe, or a plate of brisket tell us about who we are? This week on Common Faith , Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove and Jon Frankel explore the rich world of Jewish food with two extraordinary guests. First, Jewish Food Society founder Naama Shefi discusses The Great Nosh , a festival celebrating Jewish culture through food, storytelling, and community. Then...

Why is soccer the world's game—but still not America's? As North America prepares to host the largest World Cup in history, Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove and Jon Frankel tackle a question that goes far beyond sports. Joined by acclaimed writer Franklin Foer and scholar Andrei Markovits, they explore why soccer became a global language of identity, nationalism, and belonging while America developed its own...

Why do some stories stay with us forever? This week on Common Faith, Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove and Jon Frankel sit down with bestselling author and legendary New Yorker writer Susan Orlean to explore the art of storytelling and the human impulse to search for meaning in ordinary moments. From milkmen and librarians to taxidermists and grave diggers, Orlean has built a career uncovering the hidden worl...

It’s easy to criticize—but much harder to build. In this episode of Common Faith , Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove and Jon Frankel begin with a challenge: what if the real problem in Jewish life today isn’t disagreement—but a culture of critique without responsibility? From “kvetching” to self-reflection, they explore what Judaism actually demands when we call out what’s broken. Then, Rabbi Menachem Bombach...

What does it mean to receive the Torah in the modern world? This week on Common Faith, Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove and Jon Frankel explore the meaning of Shavuot—the holiday commemorating the giving of the Torah—and ask what Jewish education should look like in an age shaped by distraction, polarization, and personal choice. Rabbi Cosgrove reflects on the Torah as a “love letter” between God and the Jew...

In a world where borders divide and conflict dominates headlines, what if the most powerful path to peace isn’t political—but environmental? This week on Common Faith , Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove and Jon Frankel are joined by Gidon Bromberg, co-founder of EcoPeace Middle East, an organization bringing together Israeli, Jordanian, and Palestinian leaders around a shared reality: the environment knows no...

This week on Common Faith , Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove and Jon Frankel sit down with Benjamin Anthony to unpack the complexities of the current Middle East conflict and its ripple effects far beyond the region. Drawing on his experience as an IDF combat veteran and policy leader, Anthony reflects on the evolving nature of modern warfare—not only in physical terms, but in the battle for public opinion t...

In this episode of Common Faith , Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove and Jon Frankel are joined by director David Frankel and actor-writer B.J. Novak for a conversation about storytelling, success, and what changes—and what doesn’t—over time. With The Devil Wears Prada returning nearly two decades later in The Devil Wears Prada 2 , Frankel reflects on why he long resisted making a sequel and what ultimately ma...

This week on Common Faith , hosts Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove and Jon Frankel begin with a candid and personal conversation about the nature of Jewish inquiry. Why is Judaism rooted in questioning, yet sermons remain one-directional? What does it mean for a rabbi to share not just ideas, but vulnerability? And where do spiritual leaders turn when they themselves are searching for answers? In the second...

What does it mean for a nation to move from mourning to celebration—while still struggling within itself? In this powerful episode of Common Faith , Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove and Jon Frankel begin with one of the most emotionally charged passages in the Jewish calendar: the transition from Yom HaZikaron to Yom HaAtzmaut. In Israel, these days unfold back-to-back—shifting from collective grief and reme...

What does it mean to remember the Holocaust—especially as we approach a world without survivors to tell the story? In this powerful episode of Common Faith , Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove and Jon Frankel explore the meaning of Yom HaShoah and the evolving nature of Holocaust remembrance. From the origins of the day itself to the role of ritual, storytelling, and memory, the conversation asks urgent questi...

What does it mean to be Jewish in a world filled with suffering—especially when that suffering extends far beyond our own community? In this Passover episode of Common Faith , Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove and Jon Frankel explore one of Judaism’s most enduring tensions: the balance between particularism and universalism. As the Passover story reminds us, we are commanded to remember our own liberation—but...

In October 2018, the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh became the site of the deadliest antisemitic attack in American history. But the story of Pittsburgh’s Jewish community is not defined by tragedy alone. In this episode of Common Faith , Rabbi Elliott Cosgrove and Jon Frankel explore the past, present, and future of Jewish life in Pittsburgh. First, they’re joined by historian Dr. Barbara B...

This week on Common Faith , Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove and Emmy Award-winning journalist Jon Frankel welcome Naomi Firestone-Teeter , CEO of the Jewish Book Council , to reflect on the power of Jewish literature and the work of nurturing Jewish voices in an ever-changing world.  Naomi brings a deep commitment to Jewish storytelling. Since joining the Jewish Book Council in 2006 — eventually becoming it...

What does it mean to give—and why does Jewish tradition place such deep emphasis on tzedakah ? In this episode of Common Faith , Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove and Emmy-Award-winning journalist Jon Frankel explore the Jewish ethics of giving and the real-world challenges of philanthropy today. From childhood memories of the classic blue-and-white tzedakah box to questions about how we teach generosity to t...

What does it mean to choose an identity — especially when that identity places you in danger? This week on Common Faith , Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove and Emmy Award-winning journalist Jon Frankel sit down with sociologist, author, and humanitarian leader Dr. Georgette Bennett to discuss her moving new book, Half-Jew–Full Life: The Unlikely Journey of a Voluntary Jew from Nazi Persecution to the American...

Purim is known as Judaism’s most joyful holiday — costumes, hamantaschen, and celebration. But beneath the revelry lies a sobering truth: it is the story of an ancient antisemitic decree and the courage required to confront it. In this powerful episode of Common Faith, Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove and Emmy Award-winning journalist Jon Frankel explore the enduring relevance of the Purim story in a post–Oc...

What happens when faith and Friday night lights collide? In this episode of Common Faith , Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove and Jon Frankel explore what it means to live proudly Jewish lives at the highest levels of college athletics. In the first segment, they speak with Zevi Eckhaus , Division I quarterback and NFL hopeful, who shares what it’s like to navigate locker rooms where he may be the only observa...

What does it mean to belong—especially when you’ve spent much of your life feeling like an outsider? This week on Common Faith , Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove and journalist Jon Frankel welcome one of the most influential Jewish leaders in America, Rabbi Angela Buchdahl , Senior Rabbi of Central Synagogue and author of the bestselling memoir Heart of a Stranger: An Unlikely Rabbi’s Story of Faith, Identit...

In this episode of Common Faith, Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove and Emmy Award–winning journalist Jon Frankel sit down with Jonah Platt—actor, musician, producer, Jewish advocate, and host of the hit podcast Being Jewish—for an honest conversation about Jewish identity, pride, and public life in a post–October 7 world. Jonah reflects on his journey from stage and screen to becoming one of the most visible...

In a moment when Jewish identity, democracy, and political loyalty feel increasingly put at odds, Common Faith asks a necessary and urgent question: Can Jewish safety and universal democratic values truly coexist? Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove and Emmy Award–winning journalist Jon Frankel are joined by Amy Spitalnick, CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, for a wide-ranging conversation on antisem...

As the generation of Holocaust survivors dwindles and antisemitism resurges across the globe, the work of remembrance has never been more urgent—or more complex. On this episode of Common Faith , Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove and journalist Jon Frankel are joined by Kathrin Meyer , current Board Member for The Olga Lengyel Institute for Holocaust Studies and Human Rights (TOLI), former Secretary General o...