Haverim:
Passover 2021
Spring is one of my favorite times of the year. I love seeing the first shoots of flower bulbs making their appearance from the recently frozen ground. I look forward to seeing the robins and other birds coming back to the trees in the back yard.
This year as we get ready for Passover, it has been a special time to reflect on the past year. We reached the anniversary of Covid-19 taking hold and spreading across the world. Indeed, Passover 2020 was the first holiday that we had to make a major change to our way of doing things by having our community Seder online through zoom.
Who could have imagined that we would still need to socially distance, wear masks, and have virtual worship services one year later? It has been a challenging time for our congregation and for each of us, but we have managed to make adjustments and try to stay connected.
Virtual services have taken some time to become familiar, and it does not work well for everyone. However, it has allowed for some interesting opportunities. It was a new experience to share Shabbat and High Holy Day services with people from all over the country. Lisa was leading the music from Chicago, I was in my home in Rockford, and the congregation was scattered all over Wisconsin, Illinois, Texas, Arizona, and many other states.
Passover in the time of Covid-19 also presents a unique perspective. The rabbis of Jewish tradition challenge us in the Seder Haggadah to put ourselves in the story. We should imagine that we ourselves were being liberated from Egypt, not just read about it as something that happened to other people.
As we shelter in our homes again this year, it seams that we can identify with the people of the Passover story sheltering in their homes on the eve of Passover as something scary and deadly was passing over the land. Also, as more people have an opportunity to get the vaccine for Covid-19, many have expressed a feeling of liberation and relief that a return to some kind of normal is possible.
There is still much that needs to be done for something normal to return to our daily lives. Millions more people need access to the vaccine for the disease to be truly under control. However, let us have some hope that we will be able to see each other in person in the next few more months.
The Jewish people of the Passover story needed a great amount of hope and faith as they began their journey from Egypt into the wilderness. They did not know what was ahead, but had faith that together they could get there.
Hazak, Hazak v’Nithazek – Be strong and let us strengthen each other!
May you have a good and healthy Passover – Hag Sameach!
Rabbi Shlomo Wing