Pesach is a special time for us. It is when we remember our captivity at the hands of Pharoah in Egypt and celebrate our liberation. Although solemn, Pesach is also a joyous time of hope for our people.
We all know how much this year will be different from all other years. Firstly and most importantly it is hard to be filled with joy and hope when so many of our family and loved ones are sick, or isolated in their homes. We are all fearful about Covid-19.
The death toll within the community in the first few weeks of the pandemic has already been a heavy one, with the strong likelihood of more losses within the coming days and weeks.
It has not escaped me that this year we are commemorating our escape from bondage from behind locked doors. Our tradition is to extend an invitation to family, friends and strangers to share our Seder meal and to tell stories and sing songs.
The realities of the current emergency are that families will be celebrating their Seders in smaller family groups and that many of our older and more vulnerable relatives will not be able to spend time with their loved ones at all.
While this is an awful situation and one that none of us could have dreamt of even a few weeks ago, there are positives we can draw.
The first is the Pesach imperative to help a stranger. In normal times this means inviting someone in need into your home to enjoy your Seder meal. While this is impossible at the moment, we can and should all be volunteering to help strangers in need.
We can volunteer through the NHS and through amazing Jewish organisations such as the Jewish Volunteering Network who have set up programmes to give assistance to those who need it most.
We can also drop cards into neighbours who may need help (an ‘I Can Help’ card is available to download on our coronavirus advice page here).
We at the Board of Deputies have liaised with the Government, the Opposition, Jewish and Muslim faith communities, in order to amend the Coronavirus Bill so that we will still be able to bury our loved ones with dignity according to our tradition.
We have been working with all the different denominations to support as much continuity of religious life as possible. We have seen a wonderful and unique spirit of altruism develop in the last few weeks and this is something we really can cherish.
And of course there is the fundamental duty incumbent on all of us to stay safe by remaining at home as much as possible, to protect the NHS and to ensure this virus is defeated in the minimum amount of time. We must all take on the message that we will not be able to go back to our normal lives if our behaviour means that the virus can spread.
Sadly, this means that for a limited period we will be unable to do many of the things we all look forward to at this time of year.
Every year we announce “next year in Jersusalem”. We all hope and believe that next year we could be in Jerusalem or on a matzah ramble with friends or at a big family gathering. But for now we have to earn that freedom.
Pesach sameach to you all and most importantly be safe and well.
Marie van der Zyl is President of the Board of Deputies of British Jews
