The last few days have included the first days of Passover, followed by a Shabbat, and I hope everyone has had days filled with freedom and hope.
The Middle East did not suddenly become a place of freedom (yet) as both attacks and rhetoric have intensified. Without going into a lot of detail, this time of Holy Week for Christians, which was synced this year with the beginning of Passover, has included:
- Attacks on both sides increasing.
- U.S./Israel attacks on steel production and petrochemical plants, as well as promises of more attacks on energy infrastructure in Iran if the Strait of Hormuz is not fully opened.
- More Iranian attacks on residential neighborhoods; more Iranian threats about destroying U.S. facilities; and more Iranian launches of illegal cluster fragmentation bombs that randomly land in Israel after being defended against.
- A significant increase in the threats from Iran of attacking U.S. bases, implications of awakening sleeper cells, and Iran attacking Gulf neighbors (who still are not retaliating against Iran).
- The downing of a U.S. fighter jet by the Iranians. The pilot has been recovered, and the navigator is still being searched for in Iran.
- Hezbollah continuing to act as Iran’s proxy and launches Iranian rockets, while the IDF is taking more aggressive tactics in eliminating Hezbollah leadership and weapons sites.
In review, despite a majority of U.S. and Israeli military successes, a few things are happening: based in a few limited successes by Iran, Iran is making more threats; Trump is threatening “all hell” on Iran if the Strait is not opened; there is no real Iranian leadership regime to negotiate with other than the clerics and the IRGC, which will not negotiate and do not seek peace; and Israel and the U.S. are probably going to need to do a lot more damage, especially to oil and energy reserves in Iran, before the Shiite nation actually folds and seeks peace according to the terms that the U.S. and Israel have always been consistent about.
Another important war event was President Trump giving a speech to Americans where he pointed out the dangers of Iran to the Western world, and reminded Americans that we have been at war for barely over a month, compared to the years it took to win the wars against other regimes in World War I and World War II and that this war is equally important and progressing at or ahead of schedule.
And while this war continues to progress, so does the holiday of Passover, Holy Week, and now, Easter.
If we are honest, most Christians (as well as most Jews) don’t really know much about the depths of Passover. And similarly, most Jews (as well as most Christians) don’t really know much about Easter. It’s sad but true, and if we all knew more about both holidays, if we really understood their deeper meanings, the world would be a better place.
And so my friend Bishop Juan Carlos Mendez and I talked in depth about both holidays and their importance to the world in this week’s The Rabbi’s Table: Dialogue Not Debate. For those of you in Los Angeles, you can hear the radio version on Sunday night at 9 p.m. on 790 KABC. But I want to recommend that everyone listen to the extended podcast version that gets released on Easter Sunday morning on all podcast platforms or here.
I would not so passionately encourage listening to this podcast if I did not believe that the dialogue between the bishop and me is important on many levels and truly feel that listening to the full-length podcast will be worthwhile.
From a spiritual perspective, it is not a coincidence that this war is intensifying during the holy times of Passover and Lent/Easter. To understand the war more fully, it is imperative that we all understand both the holidays of Passover and Easter, and I hope you will take an hour out to listen to the discussion between Bishop Mendez and me. I believe strongly that it will help you not only understand the war better, but also understand yourself and your relationship to God more fully.
Please send me your honest thoughts about the podcast discussion. We are all on the journey towards peace together, and this is only one of the important messages we find in both holidays.
Chazak u’Baruch
Rabbi Michael Barclay
April 4, 2026
18th of Nisan, 5786
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