Dear Friends,
There is an old Yiddish folk-saying "
Bei Yidden es is nishto kein seder
." There is no seder (order) amongst Jews. They no sooner embark on the seder (order), then the child asks "Why is this night different?"
Mah nishatanah -
As Passover starts next Wednesday, we ask ourselves the question,
Mah nishatanah ha'Pesach hazeh mikol ha'Pesachim?
- How is this Passover different from all other Passovers?
This Passover will feel more real and surreal than any other Passover in most of our memories. Separated from family, our routines disrupted, amidst a worldwide pandemic, surely will make this year's seder a different night.
While there are things we will need to do without and that we will miss, I urge you to still have a seder either with us or on your own. Join us today at 11AM for a discussion on how to host a virtual seder. Check out the many resources available online including,
One Table
,
Resources from Reform Judaism
, and
Ten Tips
. This year let us end our seder's not just with the words next year in Jerusalem, but with the words, "Next year, in person."
3.
Sign up to call 10 congregants.
If you haven't responded yet - please sign up for what Jeff Smith, our president, is calling our "
Phone Buddy
" program. Call periodically and just check in as you would with your own friends and family on 10 of our congregants and make sure they are well, have the supplies they need, and to generally be available even if it's just to talk. And/Or sign up to be a grocery shopper for our senior congregants. To sign up for either please respond to this email or call our synagogue office.
4. Pay attention to the needs of your body, mind and spirit.
Dr. Bob Deutsch wisely suggests that we all limit the time we spend taking in the news on a daily basis, consider increasing your meditative experiences, getting adequate sleep and healthy nutrition, reaching out with acts of kindness and compassion, and reflecting on our own blessings. Two resources he offers are
Guided Meditations from Tara Brach
and
for children of all ages -
ImaginAction
Rabbi Jonathan Sacks writes that, "Passover contains a message of hope for all of us. Each year we tell the story of the exodus, that begins in suffering and ends in liberation and joy. That is the shape of the human story. Out of the bad, comes good, out of the curse comes blessing. Out of the coronavirus pandemic will come a new sense of collective responsibility, and we will all feel renewed." As we prepare for Passover like our ancestors before us, may we discover within us the strength, the hope, and the inspiration to honor those who came before us and be an example to those who will follow. With prayers of peace and strength -
Prayer for the Healers
Rabbi Ayelet S. Cohen
May the One who blessed our ancestors
Bless all those who put themselves at risk to care for the sick
Physicians and nurses and orderlies
Technicians and home health aides
EMTs and pharmacists
Hospital social workers and respiratory therapists
(Please include other frontline healthcare workers. And bless especially _______)
Who navigate the unfolding dangers of the world each day,
To tend to those they have sworn to help.
Bless them in their coming home and bless them in their going out.
Ease their fear. Sustain them.
Source of all breath, healer of all beings,
Protect them and restore their hope.
Strengthen them, that they may bring strength;
Keep them in health, that they may bring healing.
Help them know again a time when they can breathe without fear.
Bless the sacred work of their hands.
May this plague pass from among us, speedily and in our days.
A Prayer of Hope During this Pandemic
Rabbi Naomi Levy
We are frightened, God,
Worried for our loved ones, Worried for our world. Helpless and confused,
We turn to You seeking comfort, faith and hope.
Teach us God, to turn our panic into patience,
And our fear into acts of kindness and support.
Our strong must watch out for our weak,
Our young must take care of our old.
Help each one of us to do our part to halt the spread of this virus
Send strength and courage to the doctors and nurses
In the frontlines of this battle, fortify them with the full force of their healing powers.
Send wisdom and insight to the scientists
Working day and night across the world to discover healing treatments.
Bless their efforts, God.
Fill our leaders with the wisdom and the courage
To choose wisely and act quickly.
Help us, God, to see that we are one world, One people
Who will rise above this pandemic together.
Send us health God, Watch over us,
Grace us with Your love,
Bless us with Your healing light.
Hear us God, Heal us God,
Amen.
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a progressive, welcoming Reform Jewish community
701 Farmington Avenue
West Hartford, Connecticut 06119
860-233-8315
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