Common Faith with Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove: Amy Spitalnick on Jewish Safety, Democracy, and the Work of JCPA

In a moment when Jewish identity, democracy, and political loyalty feel increasingly put at odds, Common Faith asks a necessary and urgent question: Can Jewish safety and universal democratic values truly coexist?

Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove and Emmy Award–winning journalist Jon Frankel are joined by Amy Spitalnick, CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, for a wide-ranging conversation on antisemitism, democracy, Israel, and the false choices facing American Jews today. Drawing on history, personal experience, and the realities of post–October 7 politics, Spitalnick explains why antisemitism is not only a threat to Jews but a warning sign for democracy itself.

From coalition-building and campus culture to local elections and national politics, this episode challenges listeners to reject zero-sum thinking and embrace the complexity required to protect both Jewish safety and democratic values in a polarized age.

Listen here: