Park Avenue Synagogue Podcast

With baseball season beginning this week, Rabbi Zauzmer discusses automatic balls and strikes, and the humility that the new rule brings to the game.

What can we learn from Torah readings that recount details of rituals and structures that no longer exist? Rabbi Cosgrove teaches that the connections we make with other people are sacred and persist even when the other person is not physically with us.

There are moments when God’s face feels hidden and faith itself seems beyond reach. Rabbi Cosgrove teaches that even when we cannot see the face of God directly, we may still encounter the divine in the face of another.

When is stubbornness a flaw and when does it become necessary for a people to survive? From Menachem Begin's stance against accepting reparations from Germany to the Israelites worshiping the Golden Calf, Rabbi Zuckerman discusses the characterization of Jews as a a "stiff-necked people."

Join us as Cantor Davis and cantorial intern Kelsey Bailey discuss all things Purim spiel, and get to know Kelsey better.

Rabbi Zuckerman explores why the Torah goes into such detail about the clothing one should wear in a sacred space. Clothing, according to the Torah, is not decorative. Rather, it binds us and shapes us. In the biblical imagination, clothing does not merely express identity – it creates identity. 

Rabbi Zauzmer discusses the recent Super Bowl ad about antisemitism and encourages us to spend more time fighting antisemites than we spend fighting one another. 

Rabbi Zuckerman speaks about the repatriation of the body of the last hostage in Gaza, Master Sergeant Ran Gvili – linking his return home to this week’s parashah, where Moses carries Joseph’s bones out of Egypt.

Cantors Davis and Reisner revisit the pipeline issue from their last episode and share a preview of a special melody for "The Song of the Sea," coming up this Shabbat.

Freedom is born not only through God’s miracles, but through human agency. Drawing on the Torah reading, Václav Havel, and contemporary politics, Rabbi Cosgrove challenges us to stop “living within the lie,” reclaim our moral voice, and take agency in a consequential time.

Rabbi Pink, a Minnesota native, discusses the unrest in his home state, and shares how a teaching from this week’s Torah portion can help us understand what is happening and how to respond.

On the Shabbat before MLK Day, Rabbi Zauzmer reminded us that while we can criticize the policies of our elected officials, we should celebrate religious diversity in leadership.

Why Moses? A close reading of three brief scenes before the burning bush reveals the leadership qualities that shaped Israel’s greatest prophet. Rabbi Cosgrove explores moral courage, responsibility, and the art of standing in the breach – lessons Moses lived by, and lessons our fractured moment urgently needs.

Cantors Davis and Reisner discuss everything from what drew them to the cantorate, Jewish spiritual leadership today, how their work intersects with other parts of their lives, and the hit show "Nobody Wants This."

Hanukkah is not simply a story of light over darkness, but a cautionary tale of Jew against Jew. In an age of division, Rabbi Cosgrove calls for rededication to one another – reminding us that the true miracle is unity without uniformity, and the courage to keep kindling shared light.

Israel’s war is being fought on two fronts, on the battlefield and in the battle for moral clarity. As the last hostage awaits return, Rabbi Cosgrove explores the tension between Jacob’s restraint and his sons’ fury – how far one may go, and must not go, to save a life.

Presidential historian and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jon Meacham joined Rabbi Cosgrove for a closer look at key moments in America’s history at this milestone anniversary at the Stephen R. Volk Inaugural Lecture: The Soul of America: Our Nation at 250. Reflecting on our nation’s triumphs, the darker hours, and the moments in between, this nuanced discussion brought our history to life and look...

Twenty years after Jacob famously dreamed of a ladder ascending to heaven, he had another, less well-known vision. Rabbi Pink analyzes that story and shares what it can teach us about our lives.

Following Zohran Mamdani’s election as mayor, Rabbi Cosgrove calls for a civic awakening. Like Rebecca seizing her destiny, Jews today must act with agency—knowing our leaders, voting, and standing up for democracy and Jewish community. Nothing “just happens.” The future of our people and city is in our hands.

From a visit to The Museum of Jewish Heritage on the anniversary of Kristallnacht and this week's torah portion, Rabbi Zuckerman reflects on the Jewish experience of being both a stranger and a resident in the place they call home, throughout history to today. 

Following New York’s mayoral election, Rabbi Cosgrove reflects on democracy, disagreement, and the bonds of Jewish peoplehood. Drawing on the story of Abraham and Isaac, he calls for renewed dialogue, humility, and ahavat yisrael, a reminder that the real test begins not on the mountaintop, but on the way down.

Rabbi Zauzmer leads a discussion on why Sukkot is known as the holiday of joy, encouraging us to let our walls down.

Rabbi Pink explains the hidden meaning behind the ancient sacrifices on Sukkot, and what we can learn from them about how we interact with people outside our community.

How do we carry on after the spiritual high of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur? Rabbi Cosgrove teaches that living Jewishly is a year-round, weekly, and daily commitment. If we want the peak moments, we must practice regularly.