“PURPOSE NEVER CHANGES”
From left: Henry, Molly, Kim, Charles and Jacob Malek sit at the dining table in Denver during Seder to celebrate the first night of Passover on Wednesday. Members of their family also connected remotely through Zoom to celebrate the holiday.
Everything about the Malek family’s Passover table was traditional, from the glowing twin candles above a decorative feast to the deep red wine sitting untouched in a fifth glass left for Elijah, the Messiah. But the holiday was untraditionally celebrated over Zoom, with Malek relatives calling in from all across the country.
“The purpose never changes,” Kim Malek said. “We still are celebrating at our core the spirit of freedom.”
Kim sat at a table in her Denver home with her husband, Charles, their 15year-old daughter Molly, and their twin sons Henry and Jacob, who will turn 13 on Monday. Due to the spread of the novel coronavirus, the boys had to postpone their bar mitzvah, and the family has had to adjust to life at home. But Passover
continued usual.
Wednesday night marked the first night of Passover, and it also marked the first time in years the Maleks had seen their family all together. A brother called in from Chicago, as well as an aunt and uncle from California and a cousin who is often away with the Navy.
“If you’re gonna look at anything good about all this, it’s that we’re all able to be together,” Kim said.
The family’s Seder ceremony was adjusted to fit the occasion. The ceremony is centered around a series of questions, Kim explained, and this year the family pondered topics that had never come up before. How do we welcome the hungry when we are stuck at home in isolation? What should we add to our Passover plate to remind us of this unique situation? What song do you sing when you wash your hands
as somewhat for 20 seconds?
Across the country, families gathered around their Passover tables to ask a question that comes up every Passover. Why is this night different from all other nights? This year, that question was the easy one.
“Obviously this year is radically different than any year that I can remember and probably ever,” said Rabbi Joseph Black, senior rabbi at Temple Emanuel Denver. He said that many things, despite the virus, have not changed. “Everything is still the same. Our commitment to our faith is stronger than ever.”
The temple usually hosts a Seder ceremony with about 300 members of its congregation, Black said. This year, they adapted to sharing the holiday through Facebook Live. The temple’s Seder reading will be posted on their Facebook page, Temple Emanuel Denver, for people to watch in the coming days at their leisure.