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–October 7 world. From Esther’s hidden identity to Mordechai’s defiant faith, they examine what it means to live as Jews in the Diaspora at a moment when antisemitism feels both resurgent and relentless.

They wrestle with urgent questions: Are alliances protective or transactional? Is this a time to circle the wagons or build bridges? How should Jews balance compassion for others with vigilance for themselves?

Joining the conversation is Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO and National Director of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), who offers a clear-eyed analysis of today’s antisemitism — from political polarization and social media radicalization to foreign influence campaigns and campus unrest. He outlines what the ADL is doing to protect Jewish communities, defend civil rights, and confront hate in real time.

This episode asks a timeless question with renewed urgency: Who knows whether we are here for such a time as this?

Anti-Defamation League
https://www.adl.org

Jonathan Greenblatt

https://x.com/JGreenblattADL

https://www.adl.org/who-we-are/leadership/staff/jonathan-greenblatt

Never is Now:

https://neverisnow.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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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 observant Jew — and how he honored Yom Kippur while preparing for a college football game. From wearing both Rashi and Rabbeinu Tam tefillin to training for his pro day, Zevi reflects on loyalty, identity, and what it means to be an ambassador for Judaism in a sport that rarely sees Jewish representation.

In the second segment, they’re joined by Elie Kligman, widely believed to be the first Orthodox Jewish player in Division I baseball. Ellie discusses navigating recruiting conversations about Shabbat observance, missing games for Jewish holidays, and explaining mezuzahs and kashrut to curious teammates. He reflects on what it means to represent not just himself, but the broader Jewish community — and why faith doesn’t have to be sacrificed for excellence.

Together, these conversations raise larger questions:
Can commitment to Jewish tradition coexist with elite athletic ambition? What does it mean to be visibly Jewish in spaces where few have encountered Judaism firsthand? And how do young leaders balance personal conviction with team culture?

In a world that often pressures people to choose between identity and success, Zevi and Elie offer a different model — one of integration, pride, and quiet courage.

Zevi Eckhaus:
https://wsucougars.com/sports/football/roster/zevi-eckhaus/14230

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

Elie Kligman:

https://mgoblue.com/sports/baseball/roster/elie-kligman/27514

https://www.instagram.com/eklig.6/?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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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, Identity, and Belonging.

Born in Korea, raised in the United States, and long made to feel like an “unlikely” Jew, Rabbi Buchdahl reflects on a lifetime of navigating identity, faith, and difference—both inside and outside the Jewish community. In a deeply personal and wide-ranging conversation, she shares how feeling like a stranger ultimately shaped her theology, her leadership, and her understanding of what Jewish tradition demands of us today.

Together, the hosts explore the Jewish imperative to care for the outsider, the tension between belonging and exclusion, and how American Jews are once again grappling with feeling “othered” in spaces that once felt like home. The conversation also examines pluralism, political division within Jewish life, and the responsibility of religious leaders to hold diverse—and often conflicting—communities together with humility and moral clarity.

At a moment when so many people feel unmoored, Rabbi Buchdahl offers a powerful reframing: that knowing the heart of the stranger is not a weakness, but a core Jewish strength—and a blueprint for empathy, resilience, and shared humanity.

Rabbi Angela Buchdahl:

https://centralsynagogue.org/

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

Her Book:

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/697350/heart-of-a-stranger-by-angela-buchdahl/

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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