With guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that limit social contact amidst warnings from local and state officials to stay home, Jewish observers are having to face the reality of spending the Passover seder nights alone at home, without the traditional company of their extended families.
The April 8-16 holiday commemorates God’s delivery of the ancient Hebrews from slavery and their exodus from Egypt towards the Promised Land.
For Chabad community member and Crown Heights resident Mendy Coen, this is exactly the case, with his annual plans to spend Passover abroad with his extended family being halted due to the current state of the country.
“For 22 years we have been going to hotels, this is the first time that we are at home,” Coen told Kings County Politics, noting that his family trips that range from California to Puerto Rico is unfortunately out of the question.
The decision to stay put this Passover comes on the heels of Mayor Bill de Blasio calling on religious citizens to report to the congregation’s officials with requests to stop if they witness services taking place. In his Friday news briefing last week, de Blasio also said that houses of worship that are still not adhering to social distancing will be forcefully shut down by enforcement agents, maybe permanently.
“I understand how important people’s faiths are to them, and we need our faith in this time of crisis. But we do not need gatherings that will endanger people,” said de Blasio.
The message that puts an end to synagogues holding community seders and families from spending the holiday together comes from local leaders as well.
Assemblymember Simcha Eichenstein (D-Borough Park, Midwood) issued a statement to the ultra-orthodox communities in his district to stay put.
“This year, no one should be traveling for Passover for any reason,” said Eichenstein, “if someone needs help making Passover, we thankfully have many community organizations ready to help with a wide range of needs. You’re not stuck at home for Passover, you’re staying safe at home for Passover.”
Many community organizations have been overwhelmed with the demand for Passover resources, including larger organizations such as the Met Council, the biggest Jewish charity in the U.S. that feeds hundreds of thousands of needy people across the city each year.
Met Council CEO David G. Greenfield told Kings County Politics that over the past week, the Met Council kosher for Passover food distribution has increased by a million pounds, feeding 200,000 needy New Yorkers in the past two weeks alone.
“New Yorkers have lost their jobs and they are struggling.” Greenfield said, “the demand that we are seeing from people who cannot afford to even buy the basic staples for the holiday is overwhelming.”
Jewish outreach organizations that host people for seder meals are also facing the newfound responsibility of coming up with ways for people to celebrate Passover from the safety of their homes amidst the coronavirus crises.
The Chabad-Lubavitch movement annually hosts between 10,000 to 12,000 communal Seders in 115 countries, drawing anywhere from a handful of participants to more than 2,000 participants in international sites like Thailand. But drawing on the circumstances, the Chabad centers in the United States are preparing more than 250,000 Seder-to-Go kits to be delivered in the next two weeks, according to media sources.
The kits include all the items for the Seder plate, handmade matzah, and a Haggadah along with a printed how-to guide.
Yet another Passover tradition being affected is the religious custom of selling chametz (leavened food) to a non-Jew before the onset of the holiday. The Crown Heights Rabbinical Court announced yesterday a new way in which this process will take place.
“Normally, we are meticulous to meet the Rabbi in person and formally authorize him to arrange the sale for us,” the board said, “however, in this medical emergency, it is impossible to set up a safe system for in-person Sale of Chometz without endangering the community further. The Rabbonim have therefore instructed that all Mechiras Chometz this year shall be by electronic authorization.”
A special page on the website of the Crown Heights Jewish Community Council (CHJCC) was set up to facilitate the sale.
