Coronavirus Passover: Rabbi Finds Quarantine Creating 'Stronger Community' As Synagogues Serve Seder From Afar
VOORHEES, N.J. (CBS) -- Passover is the yearly remembrance of the Jewish people escaping slavery in Egypt. Typically, it's a time for families to come together, but local synagogues are closed and are now figuring out ways to serve Seders from a distance.
A Passover Seder in 2020 requires a little more ingenuity than in year's past.
"I've never had one where we tried to and were unable to do it," Rabbi Aaron Krupnick said."This year, we had planned to have a physical Seder."
Coronavirus And Passover: Delaware Valley Rabbi Gets Creative To Celebrate Holiday Amid Pandemic
Krupnick is the senior rabbi at Congregation Beth-El in Voorhees.
Krupnick and four other leaders at the temple filmed a 90-minute video featuring all the tentpoles of a traditional Seder -- from the questions to a kid-friendly version of the 10 Plagues.
Krupnick says the switch to virtual services has been a "worthwhile learning process" as they've seen numbers grow throughout the quarantine.
"We now routinely get 60 to 70 people at an evening service where they're able to see each other and chat," Krupnick said. "It's actually created a stronger community."
Coronavirus Latest: What You Need To Know And Staying Connected
He says it parallels Jewish history.
"It's kind of parallel to Jewish history," Krupnick said. "Whenever challenges come against the Jewish people, we rise up to solve them, a stronger more vibrant Judaism comes about and that's what's happening now. It'll change the course for the better."
There is a number of local synagogues hosting virtual Seders Thursday night and throughout Passover. For a full list of synagogues, click here.
