Park Avenue Synagogue accepted by Rabbi Elliot J. Cosgrove and Rabbi Neil Zuckerman
We are thrilled to honor Park Avenue Synagogue, located in the heart of New York City, for its continuous partnership since Matan’s inception. Park Avenue Synagogue’s deep commitment to including individuals with disabilities has fostered a more welcoming and accessible Jewish community, serving as an example for others to emulate. Along with Park Avenue Synagogue, we honor Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove and Rabbi Neil Zuckerman, whose leadership and collaboration with Matan have been instrumental in shaping this vision into reality. We are thrilled to celebrate their dedication to ensuring every individual has a place to belong and an opportunity to flourish within Jewish life.

Elliot J. Cosgrove, a leading voice of American Jewry, is Senior Rabbi of Park Avenue Synagogue in New York City. Ordained in 1999 at the Jewish Theological Seminary, he earned a doctorate at the University of Chicago Divinity School and is a Senior Hartman Rabbinic Fellow. Rabbi Cosgrove sits on the Chancellor’s Cabinet of the Jewish Theological Seminary and on the Editorial Committee of Masorti: The New Journal of Conservative Judaism. An officer of the New York Board of Rabbis, he serves on the boards of UJA-Federation of New York, the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, and Hillel at the University of Michigan. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Rabbi Cosgrove represented the Jewish community at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum during the visit of Pope Francis to New York in 2015. Rabbi Cosgrove was honored to represent American Jewry at the 2024 White House Hanukkah party. A frequent contributor to Jewish journals and periodicals, he is the author of 16 volumes of sermons, the editor of Jewish Theology in Our Time and the author of For Such a Time as This: On Being Jewish Today. He is the host of “Conversations with Cosgrove,” a series on the Park Avenue Synagogue Podcast, which features conversations with thought leaders in the Jewish world and beyond.

Rabbi Neil Zuckerman began his career at PAS as director of congregational education then joined the clergy team.  As director of congregational education, Rabbi Zuckerman initiated and oversaw numerous programs and classes for learners of all ages. Previously, he served as rabbi of Temple Israel Center in White Plains and as senior rabbi of Congregation Har Shalom in Potomac, Maryland. In addition, he was president of the Westchester County Board of Rabbis and has chaired the Israel Committee of the Rabbinical Assembly. A lifelong learner, Rabbi Zuckerman has been a rabbinic fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem in the Center for Rabbinic Enrichment (CRE). An exceptional opportunity to learn with colleagues and build relationships across religious movements, CRE is a three-year program of study for North American rabbis of all denominations that includes weekly classes via video conference and bi-annual study seminars in Israel. Rabbi Zuckerman was raised in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and began his Jewish education at Beth El, the Conservative synagogue there. He earned a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Maryland and a master’s degree in Jewish studies from the Jewish Theological Seminary, where he was ordained in 1999. Rabbi Zuckerman lives on the Upper West Side with his wife, Allison Hoffman, and their children.

Jodi Newmark
Jodi Newmark is the Director of Encompass, an initiative of Chicago’s Jewish United Fund, that works to expand and enhance community-based services for adults with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (I/DD) so they can live safe, productive, and meaningful lives and fully participate in our Jewish community. Encompass was founded in 2013 by Jodi and other community members concerned about the lack of community-based services for adults with I/DD. Through her leadership, Encompass has raised over $6 million for services for adults with I/DD, led a community-wide synagogue inclusion effort, launched a Peer program in partnership with JUF’s Young Leadership Division, and has facilitated numerous community planning and advocacy efforts. Previously Jodi had a career in public finance, first as an attorney at Gardner, Carton and Douglas, and then in investment banking at John Nuveen & Co. During a seventeen-year career hiatus, among other roles, Jodi was a member of her synagogue Board of Directors, the JUF Women’s Board, and the JUF Board, holding leadership positions in each. Jodi chaired the New Trier Township High School caucus for two terms and served as VP and then President of Lake Shore Country Club. Jodi and her husband, Gregg, have four adult children and one grandchild and live in Glencoe.

Elaine Hall
Founder of The Miracle Project, an inclusive theater and film program; star of HBO’s Emmy Winning film Autism: The Musical, Elaine Hall is internationally recognized for using the arts to enhance quality of life for neurodivergent individuals, and is one of Hollywood’s first Access Coordinators.  Elaine has co-written and produced over 30 original musicals featuring neurodivergent, disabled and non-disabled actors, and is a leader in inclusive religious programming enhancing belonging over inclusion. Her methods, documented in her text book, Seven Keys to Unlock Autism, are now evidence-based. Featured in The New York Times, WSJ, Boston Globe, on CNN, CBS, OWN, NPR among others, Elaine has worked as advisor, script consultant, content developer, on-set coach, and/or casting consultant for Netflix, Shondaland, Amazon, Hulu, Disney, Sony Pictures including appearing in the Netflix hit, Love on the Spectrum and Jason Katim’s As We See It.  Elaine consulted on the film EZRA, starring a twelve-year-old autistic boy along with Robert De Nero. She has spoken at the United Nations several times and is a keynote speaker across the globe. Co-founder of the Hollywood advocacy group, 1IN4, she was the Access Coordinator at the BARBIE Premiere. Elaine identifies as neurodivergent herself, and has an adult autistic son who communicates with AAC. Together they are committed to changing the media’s representation of disability - moving from ‘inclusion’ to ‘belonging.’  They are both featured in Scott Steindorff’s new film, Understanding Autism. Elaine recently worked with Yorgos Lanthimus on his new film Bugonia. Elaine’s memoir, Now I See the Moon, an official selection by the United Nations, is in development for a limited TV series.