“There’s the rise of the Zoom seder or ‘zeder’ as people are calling it.”
—Stephanie Butnick, Tablet Magazine
“Passover affirms the great truth that liberty is the inalienable right of every human being.”—Morris Joseph
Cecile’s sister Sherry, an active member of the Jewish community in southern part of the country organized a family virtual seder on Zoom last evening for the second night of Passover. As a solitary Catholic in my Jewish household, I have come to respect and enjoy this holiday since my wife and I married in 1977. But a virtual seder was a first for most everybody. Eighteen family members and guests from South Carolina, Chicago, Michigan, California and Vietnam (Sherry’s son Brian) participated in the event. In normal times, when the world-at-large is not being threatened by a pandemic, Jews, extended families and welcomed guests gather around the table for a traditional seder and tell the story of Moses leading the Hebrews Exodus out of slavery from Egypt to the Promised Land. It is a timeless tale of liberation. Passover 2020 is very different.
Jews penchant for survival is demonstrated by the fact that they have celebrated seders during the plague, the inquisition, and the Holocaust. This marks the first time in Jewish history that the table is set with candles, wine, seder plate, matzah, the prophet Elija’s cup, and a laptop computer to see everyone in gallery view. The Passover seder which takes place in the Hebrew month of Nisan, is a time of miracles.
It is quite the paradox when you think about it. Here you have Passover, a cherished Jewish holiday that commemorates the journey from the bitterness of slavery to the sweetness of freedom with the backdrop of the plague of COVID-19 that is keeping people physically separated and isolated are being brought together through the miracle of technology.
In a recent issue of Forbes Magazine, the Dining Section, Aly Walansky acknowledged there’s no denying this year’s seder nights will be different from all other nights, but it can still be very special and important. Quoting Rebecca Schoffer, 92Y Director of Jewish Family Engagement: “The very essence of Passover, when the Israelites were fleeing Egypt, they did not have time to let their dough rise, which is why we eat Matzah (a flat, humble cracker-like version of bread)…Similarly, we may not have all of our usual comforts this year, but we will manage and be grateful for whatever we do have. Passover is not about tangible items on your Seder plate, it’s about resilience, memory and hope.”
When Sherry went around the virtual table and asked what everyone was grateful for, the central theme echoed what Schoffer said, “Be grateful for whatever you have.” She also added: “What’s important is that we still find cause to celebrate, reflect, and count our blessings, even amidst these trying times. That’s what Passover is about.”
As Cecile and I saw the images on the screen of all the people we love and all of whom love us including our granddaughter Lyla, smiling and waiving to everybody, we realized in that moment all was good in the world.
Postscript: The yarhzeit candle is in memory of Cecile’s and her sibling's Bubbe’s passing when they were young.
Photo credit: Matzah plate by Getty Images
