Robin Freedman’s Passover Message for 2026
For our Passover holiday issue, we invited members of our staff and community to share their responses.
I was born and raised in a Jewish conservative family – the youngest of three children. We kept a kosher home, celebrated the Jewish holidays, attended synagogue and Hebrew school, became a bar/bat mitzvah. Was I happy to do some things when I was younger? No, not all the time.
Throughout the years, I have found out what it means for me to be a good Jew (and I would like to think a good person). It means that I can sacrifice a few days a year to wake up early in the morning to arrive at synagogue for the High Holy day services, giving acts of kindness such as tzedakah and volunteering my time for a good cause. I continue to be kind and compassionate during good times and bad and although I don’t attend synagogue on a regular basis, I do pray and wish for peace in the world. Most of all, I am a good person, and I continue to be kind and compassionate.
On this Jewish holiday of Passover, I will cook traditional holiday dishes, gather with family at our seder and enjoy a wonderful meal. I know that there are many that will not be as fortunate to do this and I will be thinking of them.
As it is written in the Haggadah, “Next year in Jerusalem.” I hope that someday soon it will be safe there without war and fighting. Wherever you and your family will be this Passover, I wish you a happy, healthy and safe holiday.
Robin Freedman is the Administrative Assistant for Atlanta Jewish Times.