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.