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 segment, they are joined by renowned AI pioneer and public intellectual Dr. Judea Pearl. Drawing from his new book Coexistence and Other Fighting Words, Pearl offers a bold framework for understanding modern antisemitism, the rise of anti-Zionism, and the challenges of coexistence in today’s world.

From the philosophy of “Jewish normalcy” to the dangers of misinformation in the age of artificial intelligence, this conversation pushes beyond easy answers. Pearl challenges listeners to think more rigorously, speak more assertively, and confront difficult truths with clarity and conviction.

Dr. Judea Pearl:

https://bayes.cs.ucla.edu/jp_home.html

The book: Coexistence and Other Fighting Words:

https://www.amazon.com/Coexistence-Other-Fighting-Words-2002-2025/dp/1895131731

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/#

Jon Frankel:

https://www.instagram.com/skifrankel

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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 remembrance to the celebration of statehood and independence. They are contiguous not only on the calendar, but in the heart of Israeli identity.

And yet, as this episode makes clear, unity cannot be taken for granted.

Recorded during a moment of war—when sirens interrupt daily life and Israelis are forced into shelters—this conversation turns inward, asking a more difficult question: What happens when the deepest divisions are not external, but internal?

Featuring Dr. Alick Isaacs, Rabba Tamar Elad-Appelbaum, and Keren Sokoloff of Siach Shalom, the episode introduces a bold and deeply human approach to conflict. Rather than trying to resolve disagreements, their work focuses on healing relationships—bringing together Israelis from across ideological, religious, and cultural divides, including some of the most painful fault lines in society today.

Through remarkable stories—like conversations between ultra-Orthodox women and military families during wartime—listeners witness what becomes possible when people choose not to persuade, but to listen. Not to win, but to understand.

At a time when polarization defines so much of public life—not just in Israel, but around the world—this episode offers a profound insight: that true peace is not the absence of disagreement, but the ability to hold difference without losing one another.

In the space between memory and independence, between sirens and silence, the question remains: Can a divided people still become whole?

Siach Shalom:

https://talkingpeace.org.il/

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/#

Jon Frankel:

https://www.instagram.com/skifrankel

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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 questions: How do we preserve history? Who gets to tell the story? And what happens when memory becomes something we inherit rather than witness?

The discussion then turns to The Last Twins, a deeply moving documentary that uncovers a remarkable and previously untold story from Auschwitz. Featuring filmmakers Perri Peltz and Matthew O’Neill, along with Judith Richter, daughter of Holocaust survivor Erno "Zvi" Spiegel, the episode brings listeners into a story not just of survival—but of moral courage.

At the heart of the film is a profound question: What does it mean to choose humanity in a system designed to strip it away? As the last generation of survivors fades, this episode challenges us to carry forward not only the memory of the Holocaust, but the values it demands of us today.

The Last Twins:
https://thelasttwinsfilm.com
https://www.pbs.org

The Last Twins will become available to stream on Monday, April 13 on pbs.org and the PBS App, with a broadcast premiere on Monday, June 15 at 10/9c.

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/#

Jon Frankel:

https://www.instagram.com/skifrankel

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.