For the second year in a row, members of the Jewish faith will observe one of their most important holidays during a pandemic.
Passover begins at sundown on Saturday, and unlike last year — when Seders via Zoom became the norm — some celebrating say they will observe the holiday in-person, thanks to vaccines and the easing of COVID-19 restrictions.
“Last year was probably one of the hardest Passovers we had as a family,” said Belmont resident Marilyn Weiss, remembering her attempt at a virtual Seder with extended family.
Weiss, a conservative Jew and mother of two young children, invited her Mom to come from Philadelphia this year because they're both vaccinated.
“I think that I'll probably cry when I see her because I haven't seen her more than a minute in-person since July,” Weiss said. "We're extremely excited to have her and to have one in-person guest to share the holiday with."
Rabbis and congregants said some people are comfortable having family and friends from outside their immediate family at the Seder meal that begins the holiday, but others aren’t quite there yet, even with the vaccine.
While there are still state health regulations regarding gatherings, Rabbi Neal Gold, president of the Massachusetts Association of Rabbis, said that Judaism gives no official guidance on how to hold a Seder this year, other than what the faith dictates more broadly.
“One of the highest values in Judaism is preserving and protecting life,” Gold said. “And therefore, if it was dangerous for us to get together or was putting a loved one in danger by coming together in person, we know that we shouldn't do it.”
Shaina Wasserman of Arlington lives a few blocks from her twin sister, her brother-in-law and their two children. Passover is one of Wasserman's favorite holidays, and unlike last year, the two families will spend it together.
“Passover, like so many holidays, means tradition and it means family,” Wasserman said.
Wasserman also had invited her parents to fly in from Chicago for the holiday. But, as Passover got closer, they realized they were not quite comfortable yet.
“We actually invited my parents to come, and then uninvited them when we realized that, even though they're vaccinated, they'd fly here," Wasserman said. "And it was too much of a risk.”
Whether extended family and friends attend or not, many celebrating said the holiday feels different than last year.
Rabbi Andy Kastner, vice present of Jewish life with Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Boston, said last year people were fearful, but this year there is optimism in the air.
“Of course, we're still in the context of the pandemic," Kastner said. “But there is really a feeling of hope ... emerging through this, as vaccines become available.”
Things are obviously not back to normal. But Gold said people are allowing themselves to imagine the entire world free — free of a pandemic and free from loss and bereavement.
“I really feel now that there's this sense of lifting," he said. "It isn't here yet and it's not coming tomorrow. But we can see the light at the end of this tunnel."
