Hidden in Plain Sight: Susan Orlean and the Art of Storytelling

Hidden in Plain Sight: Susan Orlean and the Art of Storytelling

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 worlds that exist all around us. Drawing from her memoir Joyride, Orlean reflects on journalism, curiosity, memory, and the way stories shape identity. The conversation moves between literature and lived experience, examining why certain narratives resonate so deeply and what it means to truly notice the people and places we often overlook. Along the way, the discussion turns personal: Orlean reflects on growing up Jewish in suburban Ohio, the influence of her parents, and the Jewish values that shaped her understanding of humanity, empathy, and storytelling itself. The result is a warm, thoughtful conversation about attention, connection, and the richness contained inside seemingly ordinary lives.   Susan Orlean: https://www.susanorlean.com/author/ [https://www.susanorlean.com/author/] Joyride: A Memoir https://www.amazon.com/Joyride-Memoir-Susan-Orlean/dp/1982135166 [https://www.amazon.com/Joyride-Memoir-Susan-Orlean/dp/1982135166]   Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove: https://www.instagram.com/elliot_cosgrove [https://www.instagram.com/elliot_cosgrove] https://x.com/RabbiCosgrove [https://x.com/RabbiCosgrove] Park Avenue Synagogue: https://www.pasyn.org [https://www.pasyn.org/] https://www.instagram.com/parkavenuesyn/# [https://www.instagram.com/parkavenuesyn/] Jon Frankel: https://www.instagram.com/skifrankel [https://www.instagram.com/skifrankel] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Inside the Haredi Community: Education, Identity, and Israel’s Future

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 joins the conversation—a Haredi educator and social entrepreneur working at the center of one of Israel’s most urgent and complex challenges: integrating the ultra-Orthodox community into broader Israeli society without compromising religious identity. Through his groundbreaking Netzach educational network, Bombach is building a new model—one that combines Torah study with secular education, opening pathways to higher education, careers, and national participation. This episode dives into the tensions shaping Israel today: religion and state, identity and economics, tradition and modernity—and asks whether a more integrated future is possible.   Rabbi Menachem Bombach: https://netzach.org.il/en/leadership-executive/ [https://netzach.org.il/en/leadership-executive/] The Netzach Education Network  https://netzach.org.il/en/home/ [https://netzach.org.il/en/home/]   Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove: https://www.instagram.com/elliot_cosgrove [https://www.instagram.com/elliot_cosgrove] https://x.com/RabbiCosgrove [https://x.com/RabbiCosgrove] Park Avenue Synagogue: https://www.pasyn.org [https://www.pasyn.org/] https://www.instagram.com/parkavenuesyn/# [https://www.instagram.com/parkavenuesyn/] Jon Frankel: https://www.instagram.com/skifrankel [https://www.instagram.com/skifrankel] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Exploring Shavuot: Reimagining Jewish Education with David Bryfman

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 Jewish people: something inherited, wrestled with, and reinterpreted by every generation. They are joined by David Bryfman, CEO of The Jewish Education Project and one of today’s leading voices in Jewish education. Drawing from his new book, Heroism and Hope: Recharging Israel Education in a Post-October 7th World, Bryfman challenges longstanding assumptions about Hebrew school, Israel education, and how Jewish identity is formed today. The conversation tackles everything from Jewish joy and experiential learning to campus antisemitism, social media, and the impact of October 7th on young Jews. Together, they explore whether Jewish education can move beyond fear and obligation toward something more enduring: curiosity, confidence, meaning, and belonging.   David Bryfman: https://www.jewishedproject.org/ [https://www.jewishedproject.org/] His Book: https://www.amazon.com/Heroism-Hope-Recharging-Education-Post-October/dp/B0GZBH6QLL [https://www.amazon.com/Heroism-Hope-Recharging-Education-Post-October/dp/B0GZBH6QLL]   Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove: https://www.instagram.com/elliot_cosgrove [https://www.instagram.com/elliot_cosgrove] https://x.com/RabbiCosgrove [https://x.com/RabbiCosgrove] Park Avenue Synagogue: https://www.pasyn.org [https://www.pasyn.org/] https://www.instagram.com/parkavenuesyn/# [https://www.instagram.com/parkavenuesyn/] Jon Frankel: https://www.instagram.com/skifrankel [https://www.instagram.com/skifrankel] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Beyond Borders: Water, Power & Peace in the Middle East with Gidon Bromberg

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 borders. From water scarcity and climate change to renewable energy and economic interdependence, Bromberg makes the case that cooperation isn’t idealism—it’s survival. In a region where access to water can define daily life, and where the Jordan River itself reflects decades of neglect, the stakes couldn’t be higher. The conversation moves between the personal and the geopolitical—beginning with reflections on global Jewish identity and perspective, and expanding into a bold reimagining of peace built not through diplomacy alone, but through shared necessity. At a time when fear and division dominate, this episode offers a counter-narrative: that even in conflict, there are opportunities to build something lasting—together.   EcoPeace Middle East https://ecopeaceme.org [https://ecopeaceme.org/] Gidon Bromberg: https://ecopeaceme.org/about/ [https://ecopeaceme.org/about/] https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/environmental-peacebuilding-31years-strong/ [https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/environmental-peacebuilding-31years-strong/]   Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove: https://www.instagram.com/elliot_cosgrove [https://www.instagram.com/elliot_cosgrove] https://x.com/RabbiCosgrove [https://x.com/RabbiCosgrove] Park Avenue Synagogue: https://www.pasyn.org [https://www.pasyn.org/] https://www.instagram.com/parkavenuesyn/# [https://www.instagram.com/parkavenuesyn/] Jon Frankel: https://www.instagram.com/skifrankel [https://www.instagram.com/skifrankel] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Battle Beyond the Battlefield: Israel, Narrative & Power with Benjamin Anthony

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 taking place across campuses, media platforms, and political institutions. In the first half of the conversation, Anthony traces the rise of polarization and antisemitism in global discourse, arguing that the struggle over Israel’s legitimacy has been building for decades. In the second half, the focus shifts to the strategic and human realities on the ground—from Hezbollah and Iran to the fragile coordination between the U.S. and Israel. Together, the episode explores a central tension: what it means to fight for security and survival in a world where narratives can be as consequential as weapons.   The MirYam Institute: https://www.miryaminstitute.org/ [https://www.miryaminstitute.org/] Benjamin Anthony: https://www.miryaminstitute.org/benjamin [https://www.miryaminstitute.org/benjamin] Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove: https://www.instagram.com/elliot_cosgrove [https://www.instagram.com/elliot_cosgrove] https://x.com/RabbiCosgrove [https://x.com/RabbiCosgrove] Park Avenue Synagogue: https://www.pasyn.org [https://www.pasyn.org/] https://www.instagram.com/parkavenuesyn/# [https://www.instagram.com/parkavenuesyn/] Jon Frankel: https://www.instagram.com/skifrankel [https://www.instagram.com/skifrankel] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.