A Message from Rabbi Bellows

February 22, 2026/5 Adar 5786

Dear Friends,

This Shabbat, as we prepare for the joy of Purim, we pause for Shabbat Zachor—the Sabbath of Remembrance. We fulfill the biblical command to remember what Amalek did to our ancestors: attacking the weak, the weary, and the straggler from behind.

The People of Amalek represent more than a specific people; Amalek, from whom Haman descended, symbolizes baseless hatred and the cold indifference that strikes when we are most vulnerable.

Today, we may often feel vulnerable and our moral sensibilities attacked. The world acts increasingly fragmented, and the resonances of ancient animosities can feel dishearteningly modern. But Shabbat Zachor is not a call to live in the past; it is a spiritual wake-up call to be vigilant in the present. We remember the darkness so that we are never lulled into complacency by it.

May Shabbat Zachor, the Sabbath of Remembrance, move us to support the weak and the vulnerable. May it lead us to speak up against injustice and misinformation. May we not let indifference take root in our hearts.

With Blessings,

Rabbi Bellows