By Rabbi Rachel Esserman
It’s difficult to write about Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove’s book “For Such a Time as This: On Being Jewish Today” (Harvest) without offering a personal take on his view of American Jewry and its relationship to Israel and Judaism. I generally avoid reading books focusing on these topics because 1) I am not a historian, sociologist or political scientist, so I can’t analyze his writing from a scholarly viewpoint, and 2) it’s difficult to separate my personal feelings from my professional reviewer ones when reading this type of work. I also read a great deal about the topics he covers during the work day and usually prefer to read something else in my free time (which is when I read the books I review for the paper).
As a book reviewer, I can note that Cosgrove, who is the spiritual leader of Park Avenue Synagogue in New York City, writes beautiful and moving prose. He is obviously knowledgeable and has a grasp of Jewish American history. His credentials include graduating from the Jewish Theological Seminary and earning a Ph.D. at the University of Chicago Divinity School. His biography on the Park Avenue Synagogue’s website notes that his dissertation focused on Rabbi Louis Jacobs, a 20th century Anglo-Jewish theologian. That bio and the one on his book jacket also mention his involvement with numerous other organizations.
If this sounds like I’m dithering rather than writing directly about the book, you’re correct. That’s because I find myself both agreeing and disagreeing with his insights – sometimes over the same issue. Part of his work looks at the divide between American Jews, whom Cosgrove feels are less familiar with Jewish ritual practice and knowledge than they should be, and Israeli Jews, whom he believes don’t always feel a connection to their American brethren. Of course, this is an oversimplification, but it helps him talk about the change that has occurred in how some younger American Jews may feel about Israel. He notes that for many Jews of his generation, Israel itself became the touchstone of their Judaism, rather than ritual and religious practice. However, Cosgrove also realizes that the same is not true for groups of younger contemporary Jews, for whom Israel has always been a strong nation.
But Cosgrove is not just interested in the past. The impetus for writing “For Such a Time as This” was the October 7, 2023, massacre in Israel. That means he is also interested in how we face the current moment and the need to plan for the future.
Readers may find themselves quibbling with his suggestions for the future, but what is impressive is that he tries to outline both sides of an issue. For example, he offers reasons for a two-state solution in Israel, which are followed by the reasons showing why that option is not viable. While he still prefers the two-state solution, he notes that now is not the time for that to happen. He talks about the need for American Jews to learn Judaism as more than a secular religion, but rather as a religious practice. Cosgrove also wants a reverse Birthright Israel because he feels Israeli Jews need to meet with Jews who live in the U.S. A connection between the two groups is something he feels is vital.
He does acknowledge that there are American Jews who haven’t supported Israel’s actions in the territories, even before the war in Gaza, and therefore feel far less of a connection to the country. However, he does not directly address the basic flaws they see in Zionism, including that there were non-Jews living in the land who did not/do not support a Jewish state.
Cosgrove generally avoids politics. He doesn’t talk about the watchers whose warnings about Hamas were ignored (although to be fair, his work may have been written before that information became public). He also does not talk about Netanyahu other than to note that not all Israelis support their government’s policies. However, he sees them as supporting their country because it is their country, much as Americans can dislike the policies of a president and still love the United States.
What Cosgrove really wants, though, is for American Jews to take action. That’s reflected in his title “For Such a Time as This,” which is taken from the book of Esther. When Mordecai asks Esther to approach the king to save the Jews of the kingdom even though she must risk her life to do so, he tells her that perhaps it was such a time as this that she was born. Cosgrove is asking us all to stand up and act as if this is the time for which we were created. The problem he doesn’t completely address is that American Jews are divided about exactly what that means. Both sides can rightly claim Jewish values for their thoughts and actions. However, Cosgrove’s work is worth reading and debating. Perhaps it will spark some much needed dialogue.