Dear Lab/Shul,

The clocks changed, some daffodils are emerging here in New York City— it’s not quite spring yet, but like us, the blooming is in process.

There’s no peace yet or progress on negotiations as the suffering continues in Gaza, Israel, and the West Bank. Almost 160 days later, our hearts are still heavy and yearning for the hostages to be free, for much more humanitarian aid to reach Gaza, for the killing to stop and the path forward to be forged towards peace. We remain vigilant and hopeful that better news and kinder days are coming for our loved ones and for all of us impacted by this ongoing tragic crisis. Read the T’ruah statement that I signed onto, calling on President Biden to end the war.

Meanwhile, how can we spring forward? What can we do to help?
Today, I want to invite you to pay attention to the convergence of holy days observed in the world at this time. It’s quite rare and an opportunity to leverage these times of goodwill towards meaningful change in multiple ways.

Scroll down for some helpful links on what’s coming up for Purim and Passover at Lab/Shul + how to support our friends in the Muslim community during the holy month of Ramadan that just began, including ways to support efforts to feed the people of Gaza and to stand in solidarity with peacemakers in Israel/Palestine. 

This spring’s confluence of religious holidays is quite unique in that our sacred calendars all line up with mother nature’s schedule during this next month. The Holy Month of  Ramadan began this week, observed by our Muslim friends and family. The Christian community is halfway through Lent, preparing for Easter. The Hindu Holi will be celebrated later in March, as is the Nowruz, the Persian New Year. Billions of people worldwide are focusing on faith and family, sacred stories and the power of intention and prayer to improve the world and bring us closer together.

And we’ve got Purim, observed and celebrated between March 21 and 24, starting with a fast and ending with a feast.

Purim leads the path to Passover – the two spring holidays that invite us to celebrate survival, focus on freedom, and lift up our duty for human liberation.

These holy days, each in its own way and all together, are here to help us shift with the seasons and activate these traditional rites towards transformation in a world that needs more solidarity, joy and responsible responses to suffering.

Just showing up to these holidays with a different intention is an act of defiance. Reaching out to each other with goodwill goes a long way. There are many ways to protect each other, and to protest the cruelty and fear that tries to replace the courage and compassion that is core to our religious narratives and public discourse. It’s on us to protest in all ways we can and to protect the most sacred values of our traditions.

Here are a few ways to inspire, help us make the most of this spring season, and activate the upcoming holy days as springboards for making a difference:

  • READ: Silence Your Groggers – the recent op-ed on how to better celebrate sacred time during wartime that I just published with Rabbi Rachel Timoner in The Forward
  • WATCH: My latest sermon from this past Sabbath Queen in Brooklyn on “Protest as The Purpose of Purim”
  • JOIN US: The new events we just added to our Purim Portal featuring the fearless Israeli and Palestinian leaders of Standing Together, who are returning to NYC next week

Preparing for Passover: 

  • Starting on March 28th, we invite you to join us for “Sayder”, four weekly zoom learning sessions – led by Rabbi Amichai with ritual team members – with helpful tips on how to bring four new questions to your Seder (registration links coming soon):
    • Thursday March 28: 6:30-8pm EST | Online
    • Thursday April 4: 6:30-8pm EST | Online
    • Thursday April 11: 6:30-8pm EST | Online
    • Thursday April 18: 6:30-8pm EST | Online

Meet the Pharaoh and prep for Passover at R. Misha Shulman’s staging of the Exodus story as reimagined movement theater. I’ll be joining for Q&A on March 17.

As Ramadan began this week, we also invite you to join us in solidarity and support with our friends and partners in the Muslim community in Israel/Palestine. Here are some ways to support projects that lift up love and generosity to families in need during this sacred season, and especially right now:

Stay tuned for more events, updates and ways to protest, stand in solidarity, donate and support initiatives that highlight the holy and make each day better.

I hope that the holy spring days ahead will bring us some rays of happiness, healing and hope,  with tangible ways to protest despair by showing up to repair the world with kindness and generous love – however we can. 

To our Muslim family and friends – Ramadan Mubarak!

With love,
Rabbi Amichai Lau-Lavie
Co-Founder, Senior Clergy and Spiritual Leader

PS: Join Ben for Learning Lab: Play as a Spiritual Practice tomorrow and join Shira for FamilyLab on Sunday!