March 2026 - Stuck in the Middle With You

We have the juxtaposition of a war in the Middle East that reaches all corners of our existence as Jews and as Americans, with that of a Spring season of our joyous holidays of Purim, Passover, and Shavuot. The above lyric came to mind as I pondered the state of the world at large and our Jewish calendar, two seemingly opposites. While one of the ‘stuck” places is not a place we want to be in, the other “stuck” place is a joyful one we are commanded to celebrate.

We just observed our fun and zany holiday of Purim, with all of its raucousness and yummy Hamentashen. Our people were saved and we are keenly aware of the gift of life itself.

We are now looking forward to the joyous festivals of Passover and Shavuot, as we recount our journey and celebrate our freedom and the giving of the Torah. We remind ourselves of our deepest purpose, which is to live lives of humility, gratitude, and service.

In the first chapter of Pirkei Avot, The Ethics of the Fathers, we are told, “The world stands on three things: Torah, Divine service, and deeds of charity.” Some Rabbis expand this to denote that the world is sustained by justice, truth, and peace. All of these concepts together represent the Torah which we live by. We pray that the war ends quickly and that we actually get stuck, in a good way, “in the middle with you,” joyously observing our Spring holidays together.

B’shalom,
Cantor Rena