Posted on January 30, 2026 by Rabbi Noah Diamondstein
Dear friends,
I am so excited for this Shabbat, on which we will gather to hear the song of our redemption, Shirat Hayam, the Song of the Sea, read from the Torah, and on which our Cantor and choir will lead us in beautiful song. Our voices will rise as one, not unlike they did on freedom’s shore, and with them our spirits will be uplifted.
The songs of Moses, Miriam and our ancient ancestors were songs of freedom, yes, but they were also songs that marveled at God’s power–a power which, in this moment, was not only miraculous but also quite violent. God, in the song, is an “Ish Milchama,” a “War-Man,” fighting our enemies on our behalf, and ultimately tossing them into the depths of the sea. Though our freedom is very much worth praising Eternal Oneness for, the cost of freedom is ever present in my consciousness. As Stephen Stills wrote, “Mother earth will swallow you, lay your body down / Find the cost of freedom, buried in the ground.”
We are still working toward a free world. We are doing that work here at home as we mobilize our congregation to work toward Tikkun Olam. We are doing that work in Trenton and Washington as we lobby for important legislation to protect the vulnerable. Israelis are doing that important work as they lobby, fight, and vote for a government that will work for the betterment of the lives of all Israelis, regardless of religion or heritage, and Iranians are laying down their lives as they work for an Iran that is no longer a terror to the global democratic community. (I applaud the EU, who yesterday voted to label the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the military of Iran’s Ayatollah Khamenei, a terror organization!)
Shabbat Shirah’s Torah reading is one of a select few biblical readings during which we, traditionally, rise. This year, I hope we will rise as one, not only in gratitude, but also in solidarity and determination, as we continue our People’s age old march toward redemption and freedom. May the whole world experience the exuberance of freedom’s shore speedily and within our days.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Noah Diamondstein