CRZ Blog Updates

I am sure I am not alone in wondering what Pesach/Passover will be like this year. How do we feel the gift of freedom when we are confined to our homes? How do we relish this most wonderful gift when we are away from the people that give expression to that freedom? Beyond those most sincere fears, many are worried about their homes being “Passed Over” in the truest sense.

Yet we all can have one year of change, one year of disruption, one year to struggle through a smaller, confined physical reality, hopefully to better appreciate the gifts and privileges we enjoy. We need to have faith and we need to trust each other; we must compel our friends, family and leaders to follow the proper life-saving protocol because they are just that, lifesaving. While we, too, may be fearful of the financial future, that will not matter if we or our loved ones are not here. 

And, we must celebrate Pesach, we must have a Seder and we must savor the unmistakable taste of Matzah.

So, what will the Seder be like this year? Different, that is all I can guarantee. But different need not be worse: a seder alone or a dramatically smaller one need not be lonely or sad. This year presents the opportunity for all of us, truly, to be leaders- we all get to craft the Seder we have always wanted (even if you did not know you wanted it!).

Skip the parts you want to skip, sing the songs that you alone enjoy, make the matzo balls the way you like them (pillowy!). I will be facilitating a Seder workshop/Q&A Wednesday April 1 at 7:30 pm and I say facilitating because I am not the “expert” at distilling tips and interpretations. Rather we will gather to hear from each other and accumulate new ideas that will make our Seder the best it can be. 

But one new idea for this year is to for us make a CRZ interactive Haggadah. We invite you (sincerely hoping you accept) to make a short video of yourself (or family members) performing a step of the Seder.

You can do this by reciting some of the text, reenacting a part of the story, explain your family’s custom or practice of this step, tell a funny story, offer a creative interpretation or personal reflection on a step or simply read from your favorite Haggadah. We will then compile these videos and upload them to our YouTube page and you can view them altogether or choose ala carte. If you have questions, need help choosing or framing your choice, just email me.

We will not be together physically but we can be together emotionally, spiritually guiding each other to a Pesach experience that will be memorable for wholly positive reasons.

This year we are socially distant, next year may we be together and stronger for it. 

Sincerely,
Rabbi David Minkus