Dear Friends,

This week, in addition to the regular Torah reading, we read a special portion called Parshat Zachor—the “Portion of Remembrance.” This reading commands us to remember Amalek, a nation that attacked the Jewish people in the desert for no reason other than hatred. But Amalek wasn’t just an enemy from ancient history. Throughout time, Amalek has reappeared in different forms—those who seek to destroy us, to sow fear, and to erase our identity. And today, we are once again facing the Amalek of our time.

There’s a famous teaching from the Lubavitcher Rebbe: A disciple once came to him and said, “I feel cold, distant from spirituality. What should I do?” The Rebbe answered, “When a person is cold, he should dance.”

Amalek’s strategy isn’t just physical attacks—it’s also about breaking our spirit, making us feel powerless, indifferent, or divided. But the antidote is action. When a person is cold, they don’t stand still—they move, they create warmth. This is what we must do now. Every single one of us has a role in this fight—not just soldiers on the battlefield, but every Jew, wherever they are, has the ability and responsibility to push back Amalek’s darkness with light.

This is the story of Purim. Haman, a descendant of Amalek, wanted to destroy the Jewish people, to silence them, to strip them of their faith. But Mordechai and Esther fought back—not with weapons, but with strength of spirit. Instead of despair, they gathered the Jewish people, they prayed, they reconnected. And in the end, not only did they survive—they danced, they celebrated, they turned the darkness into light.

Today, as we face our own battle against those who seek our destruction, we cannot stand still. Each of us must take part—through acts of goodness, through bringing comfort to one another, through increasing in unity and mitzvot. Every moment of light we create pushes back the darkness. And just as the Jewish people have always done, we will not only survive—we will transform this time of pain into a future of strength, joy, and redemption.

Shabbat Shalom and Purim Sameach!
Rabbi Zushe Cunin