On October 7, American Jews woke up to a new, unrecognizable truth: a level of hatred to which so many assumed America had become immune. Where did all this antisemitism come from – or was it always there? How can we understand our place in a world that has, in every century, turned against us? How will the community react?

Uncertain how New York’s Jews would cope with this new reality, Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove of Park Avenue Synagogue found not fear but a profound, widespread connection to community, culture and faith.

Drawing on a rich trove of Jewish history and tradition, in his new book, For Such a Time As This, Rabbi Cosgrove provides a guide to help readers make sense of this fraught moment, what it means to be Jewish today and the challenging questions embedded in the soul of contemporary Jewry.

He joins us to explore this new landscape, how we can reconcile the past with the present and face the unknown future with Jewish courage and spirit, in conversation with rabbis from across the city.