Lou Ladinsky’s Passover Message for 2026

What is a Good Jew?
So, you ask – What defines you as a good Jew? Going to synagogue every week, deciding to eat strictly kosher, or knowing the Torah inside and out, while important to many, is hardly what defines you as a good Jew, especially if everything else you do is morally or ethically wrong. They don’t offset or balance each other out.

For me, understanding that G-d has a purpose and love for all of us is very important. We often question G-d when bad things might occur. We must come to the realization that only G-d knows the answers to those questions and has a purpose for everything that he does. As a Jewish person who understands that hate surrounds us, we must still have love for humankind as a whole and to be the best person we can. We must fight evil with good. I love what Rabbi Schusterman says in this book, “Why G-d Why” – he tells us that “G-d created evil to ultimately foster good and drive our motivation to make moral choices. Without the darkness of evil, we could never appreciate the light and goodness to come from it. Only G-d knows the real reasons for the events he orchestrates in our lifetime”.

I do try and attend Shabbat services every week, not to score points with G-d, but to worship and give praise to G-d for everything he provides to not only me, but the world as a whole. Each day that I awake is like “Manna from Heaven” as I strive to make the present better than the past and today better than yesterday. This is easier said than done, but something we should all strive to do.

Lou Ladinsky is the Distribution Manager for Atlanta Jewish Times.