LIFE & TRENDS
Pandemic Changed Passover — for Good
It transformed the Seder into a more intimate experience that brought generations closer together. :: BY RABBI MOTTI SELIGSON
T
he pandemic was horrendous — plain and simple. The loss of life, illness,
sorrow, and economic destruction were immeasurable. And then there are the emotional repercussions that we are only starting to comprehend. And yet, perhaps counterintuitively,
COVID-19 forced many of us to make positive changes that have improved our lives, our faith, and our hope for the future. One of these changes can be seen
in the celebration of Passover, which commemorates the biblical story of the exodus, during which God freed the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. Each year for the last three millennia, Jews have gathered on the first two nights of Passover to mark the Seder. The Talmud notes that the
remembrance of God’s deliverance of the Jews from Egypt is not supposed to be a history lesson but rather is to be done with vigor, joy, and a sense of immediacy. As media director of
Chabad.org,
the website of the worldwide Chabad- Lubavitch movement that promotes
Judaism and provides daily Torah lectures and Jewish insights, I’ve had a front-row seat to the recent changes in the way Passover, in general, and the Seder, in particular, are being conducted, and I’m heartened by what I’ve seen. Passover has long been the most
observed Jewish holiday. For centuries, the Seder has been feted each year with large family gatherings — 30 or even 50 people, sometimes more. The elder of the family would lead
the Seder, guiding the gathered through the 15 steps laid out in the Haggadah liturgy, as traditional dishes are served alongside the all-important matzah, the unleavened bread baked in haste as the Israelites were led out of Egypt. At least, that’s what was happening
until 2020 brought all to a screeching halt. Suddenly, Passover looked like it would have to be — excuse the pun — passed over. Instead, something else happened.
It forced Jews to adapt to a new way of celebrating, with smaller, more intimate gatherings. Students celebrated in their dorm rooms, empty nesters did it at home. Perhaps most importantly, fathers
and mothers who had never led a Seder on their own because they’d always relied on the older generation had to prepare to guide their families. Children had only
their parents to recite the traditional four questions to, and only their parents to answer them, transforming the experience from performative to personal and educational.
The smaller scale Passover meant
there were more Seders than ever in the 3,331 years prior. And it returned one of the most fundamental Jewish principles to the fore: That Judaism is not a spectator sport; we each must be engaged. Jews adapted and focused on sanctifying what really is the holiest space in our tradition: not the synagogue or community center, but our own homes. In the COVID-19-era Passover
Seder, children became the complete focus of their parents. They were able to experience the nuts and bolts of Passover in a totally different way. And that, above all, is really what the Seder is all about: educating our young people about who we are and what God does for us — millennia ago and today. To help things along, at
Chabad.org
we created very simple how-to guides that showed people how to prepare and lead their own small Seder. In essence, to be their own Moses, not only for Seder but for their circumstances. When we put a new, easy-to-use
Passover Haggadah on our website for free downloads and print on-demand, close to 300,000 people downloaded or ordered one. Things have changed since March
and April of 2020 — when immense fear gripped the world and none of us knew what was coming next. Society is in a much better state of mind. We’re finally turning the page. Wishing everyone a kosher, joyous, and meaningful Passover!
Rabbi Motti Seligson is the associate director of
Chabad.org in Brooklyn, New York, the goal of which is to unite Jews worldwide, empowering them with knowledge of their 3,300-year tradition.
ROMAN YANUSHEVSKY/SHUTTERSTOCK
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