Rethinking religious traditions in pandemic

Ever since the coronavirus pandemic started hitting the U.S. hard about six months ago, people here have had to rethink one tradition after another as we reach key moments on the calendar.

Jewish community faces the formidable challenge of marking Rosh Hashana without close contact.

Of course that includes religious observances. Easter and Passover were two of the first major occasions that had to be reimagined for a world in which people are discouraged from gathering in large groups.

Now the Jewish community faces the formidable challenge of marking its most significant holidays of the year without having people get into close contact.

Rosh Hashana — the Jewish new year — begins tonight. The holiday ushers in a 10-day period of reflection and repentance that culminates with the day of atonement known as Yom Kippur.

The typical celebration of these holidays involves quite the opposite of social distancing.

Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur are the biggest days on the calendar when it comes to synagogue attendance. Many people pay congregational dues for an entire year just so they can attend these services.

We’re talking about hundreds of people gathered in close quarters for hours at a time, singing frequently. Clearly that doesn’t work under our current health restrictions, even with masks. The same goes for big, festive meals involving friends and extended family.

The challenge is that the traditions associated with these holidays have been observed for many generations, with some dating to biblical times. That’s a big part of what gives these holidays their spiritual power.

How do synagogues provide a suitably meaningful experience while adapting to the current circumstances?

For many, it means harnessing technology and getting creative.

With strict limits on indoor gatherings, many will be watching services online via YouTube or in a more collaborative manner using programs such as Zoom.

Many congregations are holding drive-in services so more people can be there for key moments such as the sounding of the shofar, blasts from a ram’s horn that Jews are commanded to hear on Rosh Hashana.

Some synagogues are opening up their sanctuaries for private contemplation during the week between the holidays.

And many families are finding ways to observe the holiday at home in a way that’s personally meaningful.

There’s a lesson here that’s applicable to everyone, regardless of their religion or creed. This tumultuous time is hard on everyone, especially when cherished traditions have to be put aside or altered. But we have to find a way to put those feelings aside and focus on what’s really important.

In the case of the Jewish high holidays, what’s most important is taking an inventory of one’s actions over the past year and come away with a clean slate, determined to do better in the coming year. It means sincere repentance before God and the people we may have wronged. These are sound practices that people of all backgrounds should consider adopting.

Would it be preferable to engage in this process surrounded by the comforting presence of the community? Absolutely. But there’s no doubt it can still be accomplished in a different setting, under unusual circumstances.

Let us remember that approaching tough situations with a positive attitude is the very sort of thing people pray to attain as they seek self-improvement during the high holidays. Focusing on what’s been lost is counterproductive.

And when Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur return without pandemic restrictions — we pray it will be only a year from now — perhaps some of the ideas being tried this year will turn into new traditions. That’s certainly the best way to approach it

We wish the Jewish community a happy, healthy 5781 filled with better times for them and their neighbors of all faiths, here and around the world.