What does Jewish identity mean after October 7? Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove and Jon Frankel talk with Dr. Einat Wilf — former Israeli MK and founder of the Oz Party — about Zionism, Israeli society, and new visions for peace and sovereignty.
Since October 7, the meanings of Jewish identity, solidarity, and the future of Israel have been in flux. On this episode of Common Faith, Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove and journalist Jon Frankel sit down with Dr. Einat Wilf — former member of the Israeli Knesset, author, educator, and founder of the Oz Party — for a deep, provocative conversation about the state of Zionism, Israel’s existential challenges, and the ideas shaping Jewish life in Israel and the diaspora.
Wilf brings a unique lens shaped by history, policy, and political engagement. Together, they explore how Israel’s leaders and citizens are grappling with security, ideology, and identity after October 7. The discussion moves from diaspora solidarity and the moral complexities of presence and power to Wilf’s own political project: a vision that seeks to redefine peace as rooted in Arab and Palestinian embrace of Zionism, equal civic responsibility, and a transition from an “exile mindset” to sovereign conduct.
Wilf shares how her experiences in Israeli politics, academia, and strategic advisory roles inform her belief that Israel’s next chapter demands courage, clarity, and a reexamination of long-held assumptions about peace, power, and national purpose. This episode doesn’t offer easy answers — but it does offer essential, thoughtful engagement with some of the toughest questions facing Jews and Israel today.
Dr. Einat Wilf:
https://www.wilf.org/en/home-en/
https://www.instagram.com/einatwilf/
Oz Party:
https://ozparty.co.il/en/home/
Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove:
https://www.instagram.com/elliot_cosgrove
Park Avenue Synagogue
https://www.pasyn.org