Passover will look different this year
As restrictions ease, some California synagogues to hold outdoor gatherings
When the coronavirus pandemic paralyzed Southern California last March, the Jewish festival of Passover, which is typically marked with a communal dinner called the Seder, was the first to be affected.
Now, after an entire year of virtual holidays and services, the Jewish community is slowly easing back into socially-distanced, outdoor gatherings and drivethru celebrations, drawing hope and optimism from the increasing number of vaccinations and a drop in COVID-19 cases. Passover begins at sundown Saturday, and will end the evening of Sunday, April 4.
A thirst for human contact
Rabbi Shmuel Fuss who heads the Chabad Jewish Community Center of Riverside said his synagogue will hold a socially- distanced Seder as well as virtual services for those who are unable to come or are not comfortable venturing out just yet.
On Thursday, Fuss was busy putting together Passover packages with all the items congregants need to celebrate at home.
“This is just life now,” he said. “We’re going to make this happen. But at the same time, I can already see that people are very excited to get out. People are just thirsty to be with other people.”
Passover is the oldest and most widely- observed Jewish holiday — a 4,000-yearold tradition that marks the time when the Jewish people left Egypt as liberated people. It is typically celebrated with a table full of family and friends who gather for the Seder, a traditional ritual where the story of how Israelites went from slavery to freedom in ancient Egypt is retold, presenting the opportunity for a discussion of current- day values and social issues.
“It’s really about our own personal liberation — physically, emotionally, spiritually
— to free ourselves from whatever limitations may hold us back,” Fuss said.
The star of the Seder table is unleavened bread or matzah, which is meant to remind people about the value of humility, he said.
“Baked bread is full of hot air,” Fuss said. “When we crunch on matzah, we think about being humble and what we can do to be more open to receive and to give.”
Part of a virtual community
For those who are on their own this Passover and are not able to join a synagogue, organizations such as New York- based OneTable are offering resources and guidance, especially for people in their 20s and 30s, who wish to be more engaged in Jewish life.
Last year, when the pandemic hit, the organization, which typically aims to build community through Shabbat dinner experiences, also began to help people with Seders and other Jewish observances. This year, OneTable will support 1,073 young adult Passover Seders just this weekend, said Al Rosenberg, the organization’s chief strategy officer.
“We offer resources from guides on how to do a Passover Seder to one- on- one coaching with a field manager or a conversation with our resident rabbi,” he said.
“We also have relationships with restaurants that can help elevate your meals at the table.”
What his organization has learned from serving people during the pandemic is that many feel they are still part of a community when they engaged virtually.
“That’s because they are doing it at the same time as others,” he said. “People feel that even when they are alone, they can do deep, meaningful things.”
The spark of creativity
At Temple Beth Tikvah in Fullerton, Rabbi Nico Socolovsky says they will have a combination of virtual and in-person activities. On Thursday, the congregation’s children played a traditional game of scavenger hunt where pieces of matzah bread were hidden at different locations in the city.
“A bunch of families participated,” Socolovsky said. “We came back to the synagogue and had a matzah giveaway and music — all in the parking lot. It was such a joy to see each other and be together again.”
Last year was the first time he organized a virtual Seder, which was intimidating at first, the rabbi said.
“We had no idea what we were doing,” he said. “But this year, we’re all pros. And it’s taught us that the value of community came come through in different setups.”
Passover, as it’s celebrated today, is in itself an
act of creativity, Socolovsky said.
“It began when the rabbis needed to figure out a way to keep the memory of the Exodus alive for generations to come,” he said. “So, a moment of crisis and uncertainty gave birth to the celebration we know today. Similarly, last year, a moment of crisis and uncertainty gave birth to the notion that our community goes beyond the walls of our home. It’s been a powerful experience.”
Lessons and blessings
In Calabasas, Congregation Or Ami (which means “light of my people”), did a “Passover Freedom DriveThru” where people could relive the story of the Exodus. Rabbi Paul Kipnes said he drew inspiration from Disneyland rides like It’s a Small World and Pirates of the Caribbean.
One of the stalls showed Moses with a “burning bush,” another depicts an Israelite building pyramids for the pharaohs and yet other exhibits show Moses’s sister, baby Moses in a basket and finally Moses in the Pharaoh’s palace demanding: “Let my people go.”
Kipnes said everyone remained in their cars with their masks on and got an explanation about each stop in the journey. The exhibit also had a social action component that encourage congregants to collect items for a project that served those experiencing homelessness, he said.