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Cathy’s WHIM – The Fifth Question – Why Is This Year Different?

Cathy Gardner | April 8, 2020
Cathy’s WHIM – The Fifth Question – Why Is This Year Different?

I’ll never forget the first Passover Seder I conducted on my own. As a young adult, with my first job and first apartment, I converted my living room into a large dining area in order to accommodate a dozen friends. I didn’t have any of the traditional ritual objects for the Seder so I improvised. My Seder plate was made of chocolate. It was covered with plastic wrap and when the Seder was completed we ate the plate. It was a wonderful and cherished memory.

This year will certainly be another memorable Passover. Being single and living alone I will not have the opportunity to be with family or friends. But as all of us are doing, I will make this holiday special even though I am in isolation. I am making my favorite Seder foods (chopped liver, charoses and babaganoush) and participating in several virtual experiences.

What I truly look forward to is next year. While I might not be yearning for “next year in Jerusalem”, I am envisioning the Passover I truly want to have because of what is not possible this year. Because of our circumstances I know that what I do next will be so much sweeter and meaningful.

May all of you stay healthy and strong. May we come out of this crisis with a deeper understanding of what is truly meaningful and may we as a community embrace all those around us and the possibilities for us to keep our Jewish community vibrant and resilient.

I would like to share with you a sweet Passover message from Israel.

Click here for a special message from Israel.

 

 

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Cathy Gardner

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