Facebook Post by Rabbi Perlin in the Time of Coronavirus (4/15/2020)
Wednesday Post 4/15/20: The Last Day of Passover
by Rabbi Amy R. Perlin, D.D.
Exodus 23:15 You shall keep the Feast of Unleavened bread; seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, as I commanded you, at the appointed time in the month of Aviv.
Today, is the last day of Passover. At sundown tonight, the Zoom seders and the most unusual Passover of our lives will have concluded. With the setting of the sun, we can reflect on lessons learned, traditions born, and changes and adaptations made that might become permanent.
As a result of this pandemic and our isolation, most of us were unable to make our usual Passover preparations. Instead of shopping for weeks and spending thousands of dollars to observe Passover, I bought a five-pound box of matzah before we went into seclusion, and everything else we had -from matzah meal to meat- was secured online. The entire Passover purchases fit on one small counter in our pantry. We literally lived Passover in the wilderness, and we were braced for the hardships of plague and scarcity.
But, I can honestly say that this was THE EASIEST PASSOVER WE HAVE EVER HAD! I can’t believe it. Once the break from routine and disappointments were set aside, and our adaptations were put in place, this Passover flew by with little fanfare and virtually no stomach flare-ups, as in years past.
Zoom seders reminded us that we are adaptable Jews and that the people we care about will be there with us, celebrating with us, any way they can be.
We shared shortages, strategies, and stories via social media, which made it the most connected Passover of our lives. I don’t remember seeing so many seder plates, matzah breis, and assorted delicacies as I did on Facebook this year.
We became Sephardic Jews, and it is a conversion I think will stay with us. We gave up the notion of kitniyot and it was a game-changer for this Passover, especially for the corn stuff. How was this Passover different from all others? We never felt deprived.
We baked instead of bought, and the results were amazing. Thanks to a friend who had an accident making charoset and made a cake out of her leftovers, we made the most delicious leftover charoset torte that will be a staple the day after seder in the years to come.
We ate fresh vegetables and simple unprocessed meals, and avoided all that cottonseed oil that is part of all the overprocessed Passover food. As a result, I have lost four pounds this Passover – also because I had very little matzah and the butter that so often makes it bearable.
And we didn’t stress over food, or cooking for an army, just planning a menu-for-two with healthy variety from what we had here at home. Three meals a day and a few snacks at home just seemed easy.
So, I thank God that, even as we navigated our safety in a plague, we were able to keep the holiday, stay kosher, and find meaning in traditions old and new.
You have your successes this Passover. You have the things you learned and are proud of. However you navigated the wilderness these past seven days – I send you my love and praise for a job well done. We showed the world that our Judaism matters, even in the most trying times. We showed one another that we can keep this almost 3400-year-old tradition, as we reimagine its observance and reinvigorated its tradition.
May our cups continue to overflow with the satisfaction of knowing that we contributed to our people’s continued survival through adaptation and innovation.
Blessed are You, my God, who has enabled me to find a way to fulfill your commandment and sustain our heritage for yet another year, through yet another plague. Amen.