Following the tragic and horrific murders of Asian-Americans in the Atlanta area this week, and the spike in violent acts against people of Asian descent all over the country, and particularly in our home of New York City, we stand in allyship and solidarity with our neighbors and families in the Asian-American community. More personally, we recognize that there are members of our FJC family (and their extended friend and family circles) who are of Asian decent and who may be more directly impacted by these violent and hateful acts. You are in our hearts and we pray that G-d protect and shield you and your loved ones from harm.

As we are all beginning our preparation for Passover– a celebration of freedom and liberation– let this be a reminder that we are obligated to fight for the freedom of all; including freedom from hatred and terror. The heart of the Passover Seder is not in merely remembering the Exodus; it is in experiencing the Exodus, in seeing yourself– ourselves– as having personally being freed the bondage of slavery in Egypt. It is in this act of radical empathy and our annual recommitment to the notion of total transformation that we can find inspiration to be champions of true justice for all.