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Pesach(Passover) and COVID-19

Shaul

Shaul

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
Pesach is coming up, of course. So I am wondering how we can prevent the current COVID-19 situation from impacting it. I see several issues.

One issue is an increased difficulty in finding Pesach supplies. Grocery stores are poorly stocked, supply chains have been disrupted, and stores hours decreased. Plus the increased risks, especially for the most susceptible, of being in crowds.

Another issue is that of Pesach gatherings. Besides the size of the gatherings travel to be with family and friends for the holiday will also be more complicated.

Does anyone have thoughts or ideas on this?

Shalom
 
robocop (actually)

robocop (actually)

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
Shaul said:
Pesach is coming up, of course. So I am wondering how we can prevent the current COVID-19 situation from impacting it. I see several issues.

One issue is an increased difficulty in finding Pesach supplies. Grocery stores are poorly stocked, supply chains have been disrupted, and stores hours decreased. Plus the increased risks, especially for the most susceptible, of being in crowds.

Another issue is that of Pesach gatherings. Besides the size of the gatherings travel to be with family and friends for the holiday will also be more complicated.

Does anyone have thoughts or ideas on this?

Shalom
Click to expand...
Well, my church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, has shut down almost everything. The men can bless the sacrament in their own homes. (You can bless any food item). There's no church. The temples are closed except for marriages and sealings (like a family marriage with children). The missionaries are still going out... I don't know why.

Our semiannual General Conference will just be broadcast.

Interestingly, about a year ago our leadership said we were going to become a home-centered Church!
 
Jayhawker Soule

Jayhawker Soule

-- untitled --
Premium Member
Shaul said:
Pesach is coming up, of course. So I am wondering how we can prevent the current COVID-19 situation from impacting it. I see several issues.

One issue is an increased difficulty in finding Pesach supplies. Grocery stores are poorly stocked, supply chains have been disrupted, and stores hours decreased. Plus the increased risks, especially for the most susceptible, of being in crowds.

Another issue is that of Pesach gatherings. Besides the size of the gatherings travel to be with family and friends for the holiday will also be more complicated.

Does anyone have thoughts or ideas on this?

Shalom
Click to expand...

To be honest, I'm not at all sure what to do.

We were to be in Japan over Pesach, but that trip was canceled. We then began planning a trip to Istanbul, but we're now in the process of scrapping that as well. Each vacation had included seder options.

At this point we have no plan at all. We might end up having a two person seder. Fortunately I make an outstanding charoset.
 
Shaul

Shaul

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
Jayhawker Soule said:
To be honest, I'm not at all sure what to do.

We were to be in Japan over Pesach, but that trip was canceled. We then began planning a trip to Istanbul, but we're now in the process of scrapping that as well. Each vacation had included seder options.

At this point we have no plan at all. We might end up having a two person seder. Fortunately I make an outstanding charoset.
Click to expand...
mmmm, charoset.

Dai-dai-aynu. ;)
 
rosends

rosends

Well-Known Member
We make Pesach at home every year with very few guests. This year, fewer guests. Simple meals don't require buying different foods and we have already started collecting the dry goods we need. There might be a little less around, but my bigger concern will be when cleaning -- we have so much stuff that we stocked up on that we will have to find space for Pesach food.
 
IndigoChild5559

IndigoChild5559

Loving God and my neighbor as myself.
Shaul said:
Pesach is coming up, of course. So I am wondering how we can prevent the current COVID-19 situation from impacting it. I see several issues.

One issue is an increased difficulty in finding Pesach supplies. Grocery stores are poorly stocked, supply chains have been disrupted, and stores hours decreased. Plus the increased risks, especially for the most susceptible, of being in crowds.

Another issue is that of Pesach gatherings. Besides the size of the gatherings travel to be with family and friends for the holiday will also be more complicated.

Does anyone have thoughts or ideas on this?

Shalom
Click to expand...
I was just chatting with a friend about this online. I am really feeling distressed.

I live alone, away from family, in a state that has asked us to stay at home unless there it is necessary to leave. In the past, I have traveled the first night, and then had a Seder meal with my synagogue the second night. This year, it looks like those two options are out.

I'm thinking to myself, what am I supposed to do? Have a Seder meal for one? How do you even do that? It makes as much sense as going south of the south pole.

I feel completely lost. I was thinking about calling my Rabbi about this even.
 
Harel13

Harel13

Am Yisrael Chai
Staff member
Premium Member
RabbiO said:
It just makes it hard to hide the afikomen.
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If you toss it randomly with your eyes shut, you'll lose it and be able to search for it. Though it would probably break, too, which is problematic...
 
Harel13

Harel13

Am Yisrael Chai
Staff member
Premium Member
@IndigoChild5559 while I've never done a Seder all on my own, I do know people who have done it by themselves in the army, and these last two years were a bit lonely for me as I did those Seders with different units in the army, with super-shy me having to give over the Seder with just a friend or two (depending on what year) to a bunch of random, mostly non-religious strangers and even a couple of gentiles (Seder in the IDF, as are Shabbat meals, are also the official meals of the day, so everyone (who isn't on guard duty or something) has to come).

In my experience, and from stories of friends, it really all comes down to one thing: whether you truly believe that this night can be a meaningful and empowering experience for you. I think it can, in any situation that one finds themself in.
Stuff I would focus on were I to do a Seder alone:
  • The (hopefully) good food.
  • Me being able to pick the songs, tunes and pace of the whole Seder.
  • Being thankful to Hashem that I'm still alive and well.
  • Recognizing that I serve Hashem and no other.
  • Being thankful to Hashem for all of the wonderful things that have happened in recent generations to Jews - the creation of the State of Israel, Israel's many miraculous victories over its enemies, the general tremendous success Jews enjoy world-wide and being thankful for my own personal experiences in life.
The rest comes down to a bit of preparation: finding good ideas to say over the Seder, choosing songs and/or tunes for old songs, maybe planning out a few minutes of the Seder to be spent meditating on the concept of exile and redemption, etc.
 
IndigoChild5559

IndigoChild5559

Loving God and my neighbor as myself.
Harel13 said:
If you toss it randomly with your eyes shut, you'll lose it and be able to search for it. Though it would probably break, too, which is problematic...
Click to expand...
This was indeed very inspirational. I've already started making plans, trying to figure out exactly how to do recipes for one person, etc.
 
Jayhawker Soule

Jayhawker Soule

-- untitled --
Premium Member
According to a FB friend:

Because of the severe Covid-19 problem, the bulk of this year's horseradish shipment is stranded at the Madrid airport. So, unfortunately, for the foreseeable future the chrain in Spain stays mainly on the plane. :(​
 
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